Give You What You Like
by adoctoraday
Summary: What happens when the path of former Harlan girl turned surgeon crosses with that of Deputy Marshal Tim Gutterson? When crime turns deadly and leaves Claire Bennett's only family in peril, she must return from the sunny shores of Hawaii to the hills of Harlan.
1. Home Sweet Home

**_A/N: So, I know this story is supposed to be about Tim, but y'all gotta be patient! Also, I love Hawaii, I've read so many historical novels, and so much history on it that I've wanted to set part of a story in Hawaii. So therefore, I hope that anyone who lives in/is Hawaiian will forgive me for any mistakes I make in the use of the Hawaiian language. I do research to try to use it correctly, so if it is not correct, please let me know! Please review, it's the best way for me to know what you think! _**

* * *

_11pm Pahoa, Hawaii Island_

The warm island breeze ruffled the lace curtains hanging in the small windows, blowing over the sleeping figure in the bed. The woman moved restlessly in the breeze and instinctively reached for the blanket, pulling it tighter around her.

Minutes later the phone rang, ripping her from her well deserved sleep. Without looking to see who it was she swiped to answer, her voice groggy, "Dr. Bennett"

There was a long moment of silence and then a pained voice spoke. "Hey Claire….It's Danny. How you doin darling?" The Kentucky drawl of her brother's voice broke through her sleep hazed mind and drew her up off her pillow, a hand coming to run through her chestnut colored hair; Claire wincing as a snarl caught on her fingers.

"Danny…I'm-I was sleeping…are you ok? You sound hurt." Claire sighed and rested her elbows on her knees, her face in one hand.

"Naw darlin, I'm fine. Just a scratch. I-I just wanted to check in on you, it's been awhile since I heard from my little sis." Danny's voice was laced with pain and sadness.

Claire fisted her hand in her hair, tugging on it until it hurt, "I'm ok…Danny, what's happened? Why are you calling so late?"

Her brother made an indignant noise and slurred, "Whaat a man can't call his little sister to check on her? Gotta be a reason?!"

Claire made a hushing noise, "With our family, and at this late at night, yes. Now, why are you callin boy?" Bad habit and frustration made her slip back into her Kentucky drawl.

Danny growled with frustration, "I'm just seein what you're up to girl, lord, if you don't wanna talk, then hang up!"

Claire sighed and shook her head, "Danny, it's late and I worked a 12 hour shift, I don't have time for this."

He laughed roughly, "Of course you don't, too busy bein a high a mighty doctor makin all kinds of money to think about your only family!"

Claire sighed, of course, this was about money… "Danny, how much money do you need?"

Her brother made a noise and then began yelling, "Screw you Claire, I don't need your money! I don't need you thinkin you're better'n me! I only ever wanted you to love me for me!"

Claire listened to her brother shout, and wiped away the tears that streamed down her face. When he grew quiet, she spoke softly, "Danny, I do love you and I want to help you. If you need money just tell me and I'll send you some. Okay?"

There was a long silence and then her brother whispered, "Okay…thank you Claire, I love you so much."

Claire whispered back, "I love you too buddy." Hanging up the phone, she lay back down, clutching the phone to her chest, her head pounding with a migraine. Tossing the phone aside, she stood and walked to the bathroom for her painkillers, swallowing two down with a sip of water before returning to bed.

Glancing at her phone, she saw her brother had sent her a text with an address in Harlan, KY and a heart emoji. She sent a heart back and put her phone aside. She didn't have to work the next day, and she would need to sleep to get over the migraine.

Rolling over, she buried her face in the pillow and breathed in the scent of the island breeze that settled into everything, and slowly relaxed from the painkillers, eventually drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Two weeks later Claire was in surgery, her hands inside a patient, carefully removing a large tumor from the man's liver. The surgery progressed well, and after she had closed she made her way to her locker, pulling her phone out to check her messages.

She had gone out on a few dates with a guy, and they had been texting. She had told him she was working today and would message him as she was able to, so she was eager to see what he had said to her last text, a silly, but dirty joke.

Smiling as she read his response, she noticed that there was also a missed call, and a voicemail. Looking at the caller ID, Claire realized it was from Kentucky. A ball of fear lodged into her gut, and she hit the play button, holding the phone up to her ear.

"Ma'am, this is Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens of the Lexington Kentucky office. I'm calling in regards to your brother, Danny Bennett. If you can please give us a call back on this number as soon as possible, we would appreciate it. Thank you."

Claire found herself sitting on the floor, staring at the phone screen, her heart pounding, mouth dry. There was no way this was good. She sat, staring at the phone for nearly ten minutes until her friend and fellow surgeon, Alice Kendall walked into the room.

"What happened girl? Did that man you were texting with send you a snap of his banana?"She joked, giggling. Claire didn't say anything and continued to stare at her phone until Alice caught a glance of her face.

"Shit girl, what's wrong? You look like you saw a ghost. Talk to me." Alice sank down next to her and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. Claire's gaze broke away from the phone and up to her friend's face.

She hit play and held out the phone so Alice could hear. When it had played Alice shook her head and swore, "Shit! What's that little ass gotten himself into now?!" she muttered.

As Claire's best friend, she was well aware of Danny's penchant for buying into "sure thing" deals, dropping out of colleges, the inability to hold jobs, bar fights, and worse. He had caused Claire more heartache over the years than Alice liked, and she wished that Claire would just cut him off.

Claire shrugged a shoulder, "I don't know. But I'm going to have to call and find out. Goddamn him." Alice squeezed her hand again, "You let me know if you need anything, eh kaikaina?"

Claire smiled at the term of sisterly affection Alice had adopted soon after they had met and nodded. Swallowing hard, she hit redial and brought the phone to her ear as it rang. Moments later a deep Kentucky voice spoke, "Deputy Marshal Givens."

Claire swallowed, "Deputy Givens, this is Claire Bennett, you left me a message about my brother Danny. Can you give me some more information as to what the situation is that has brought him into contact with the US Marshal Service?"

Marshal Givens spoke slowly, his voice like dark molasses, "Well ma'am, your brother was shot during the commission of a bank heist, in league with men we are building a Rico case against. He's currently in a coma, but we want him to turn state's evidence when he wakes up. We figure the best chance of getting him to do that, is you."

Claire laughed, "You have got to be kidding me! He was shot, and is in a coma, and you want me to convince him to help you when he wakes up. Oh my god."

She stood and ran a hand over her face. Marshal Givens spoke again, "Ma'am I understand you're upset, but this is our best chance to get the people responsible for hurting him. I promise."

Claire sighed, her shoulders drooping. She was 29, and she was far too tired for this shit. "Fine Marshal. I'll be on a plane first thing."

There was surprise in the Marshal's voice, "Well thank you ma'am, I look forward to meeting you."

"Likewise Marshal. Keep my brother safe or there'll be hell to pay, you can guarantee that." Claire hung up, dropping her phone into her locker. She turned back to Alice and shook her head, "He got shot. During a robbery. WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Alice shook her head as well, "Danny is an idiot Claire…So you're taking off?" Claire nodded, running a hand through her hair, tugging at her ponytail.

"I have to, they need my help. I have a ton of leave built up, so why not." Claire shrugged and grabbed her purse, throwing it over her shoulder before heading for the door. She didn't have any more surgeries scheduled for the day, so she would just go to HR and work out the time off.

Turning back to Alice she smiled tiredly, "Will you go over to my place and stay? I know you hate your roomie."

Alice grinned, "My pleasure girl. Get out of here." She ran over to hug Claire tightly for a moment and then swatted her on the butt, both of them laughing. Claire walked down the hospital hallways till she came to HR.

An hour later she had worked out a leave plan for the next week, and if she needed further time, the hospital would accommodate her plans.

Walking out to the parking lot, she swung her leg over her motorcycle and slid her helmet on, revving the engine and pulled out of the lot a few moments later. The ride to her house lasted only a few minutes with her speeding and weaving in and out of traffic.

Most bike owners on the islands owned Japanese bikes, but Claire had found a dealer of classics, and had purchased a Triumph, the same bike her dad had owned that currently rested in a garage in Kentucky.

Parking her bike in the small shed behind her house, she locked it and walked into the house, bolting the door behind her. She kicked off her sneakers and began to make a mental list of the things she would need in Kentucky.

Pulling her phone out, she checked the weather for Harlan, and laughed bitterly, it may have been early November here in Hawaii, and still in the 80's, but it was forecasting 40's and snow for Harlan.

Walking back to her bedroom she grabbed her suitcase from under her bed and flopped it onto the bed. Grabbing her jeans, few sweaters and cardigans, she laid them out on the bed, followed by long sleeved shirts, tanks and a few shirts. She went back to her closet and grabbed a sweater dress, a few fancier dresses for god knows what occasions, and shoes.

Jamming it all into her suitcase took skill, but after half an hour she had made it fit. Grabbing her backpack, she filled it with her laptop, a novel she had been halfheartedly reading, her makeup bag, and her cell phone charger. If she needed more, she would have to buy it.

She had already bought her ticket and checked in, ordered a taxi, and eaten a sandwich before leaving work. Glancing at her phone, Claire saw that the taxi was due in ten minutes. Dropping onto her bed, she rolled her head to the side and stared at the photo sitting on her bedside table.

It had been taken 15 years ago, when Claire was 14, Danny was 16, and her parents were still alive. They were all smiling and happy, and it was the only picture she had of them where they actually looked like they were a normal happy family.

Her phone rang, startling her out of her reverie. Looking at the screen, she recognized the number for the taxi and answered, "Hello?"

"Hello…this is Sunshine Taxi. I am out front!"

Claire smiled, "Of course, give me two minutes and I'll be right there."

"Hiki" the driver said the smile evident in his voice.

Claire gathered up her bags and turned off the lights, pausing to stare at the picture beside her bed. With a sigh she went back for it, pulling it out of the frame and shoving it into her backpack.

Locking her front door behind her, she shoved her keys into her backpack, knowing Alice had a spare set. The driver helped her load her bags into the taxi and a few minutes later they were off.

Thirty minutes later Claire was walking into the airport and working her way through security. When she had checked her bag and made it to her terminal, she sat down, curling her legs under her, pulling her phone out to make sure the Marshals hadn't called.

They hadn't.

The hour crept by until her flight was called, and Claire boarded the flight, her nerves growing more agitated. When they were finally in the air, she pulled the bottle of Xanax out and shook one out into her hand.

Waving a flight attendant down, she smiled politely, "May I get a glass of wine?" The woman nodded, "That'll be $10."

Claire fished out the money and gladly handed it over, her drink arriving a few minutes later. She swallowed the Xanax down with a large swig of white wine, and then swallowed the rest of the small cup.

Twenty minutes later, her head rested against the window, fast asleep.

The flight attendant shook her shoulder when they landed in LAX, and Claire looked around groggily, noting that the plane was nearly empty. "If you don't hurry miss, you'll miss your connection."

Claire nodded and grabbed her backpack, taking off. She barely made the connection and sank into her new seat, a sheen of sweat on her face. When they landed in Atlanta, the flight attendant once again had to awaken her, and she arrived at a closed gate.

The plane barely let her on, and she faced disgruntled stares from the other passengers. Sinking low in her seat Claire covered her face with her hands. 13 hours on planes, and she felt like crying. She was somehow still exhausted, she smelled weird, and she was hungover.

When the plane landed in Lexington, Claire let everyone else depart and thanked the flight attendants and pilots profusely for holding the plane. One woman heard her accent and asked, "You going home honey?"

Claire nodded, tears breaking out in her eyes, "My brother is in the hospital in a coma, I'm coming from Hawaii."

The woman's face softened and she reached a hand out to Claire, squeezing her arm gently, "God bless ya sweetie. You get home safe, now."

Claire nodded and whispered her thanks before departing and heading to baggage pickup. She watched as the track went around and around, not seeing her bag. Her heart sank…they couldn't have lost her luggage.

Pulling her phone out of her bag she turned it on and found she had a message from the Marshal, her brother still wasn't awake, and he needed further surgery. She sent the man a text, letting him know she had landed in Lexington, and that the airline had probably lost her luggage.

Thirty minutes later while she was talking to an airline representative about filing a claim, she heard a man's voice behind her drawl, "Ma'am? Dr. Bennett?" She turned and found a tall, handsome man wearing a white Stetson, his hand resting casually on his gun.

Her mouth hung open as she tried to come up with a response. A smile broke out on the man's face and he held a hand out, "Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens. I'm here to lend a hand with your luggage if I can, and get you settled, keep you safe."

Claire's mouth snapped shut as she swallowed and nodded, and then spoke "Right, Marshal Givens. It's good to meet you." She shook his hand and smiled tiredly, "My luggage appears to have been left in California. So I have just the clothes I'm wearing."

Raylan nodded, "Well, if you're up for it, then let's get you to a store and get some more."

Claire nodded, "Please."

After they had stopped at a small thrift store, Raylan dropped Claire at her parent's old home. He watched as she pushed the front door to the large house open and turned to face him, her exhaustion evident in her face.

"Marshal Givens," he held up a hand to stop her, "It's Raylan, please ma'am." Claire nodded and continued, "Raylan, thank you for picking me up and dropping me off. If you don't mind, I would like to take a shower and go to sleep."

He nodded and tipped his hat, turning away a faint smile on his handsome lined face. Claire turned into the house before whirling around and calling out, "Raylan! Wait!"

Smirking, he turned, "Ma'am"

Claire sighed, "Can I go see Danny tomorrow?"

Raylan nodded, "That's fine. We'll need you to come to the office though, there's a lot to be discussed."

Claire sighed deeply and nodded, "Thank you Raylan."

He nodded and tipped his hat again before folding himself into his car and driving away. Claire closed the door and sighed, inhaling the scent of the long disused house.

After their parents had died she had inherited all of their money and had moved to Hawaii. She had been named the trustee despite Danny being the elder sibling, and she had ended up giving him money as he needed it.

She had paid for a caretaker for the house, finding herself unable to sell it. Now, as she climbed the stairs to her old bedroom, she was glad she hadn't. Shimmying her bra off, she tossed it to the floor along with her shopping bags and backpack.

Collapsing onto the bed, she curled up in the comforter and set and alarm for 8am the next day. It may have been 2pm, but she had been going for 16 hours. Her last reserves of willpower were draining away, and a monstrous migraine was clawing its way to the surface.

Pulling her pain medication out, she took two pills and swallowed them down with a sip of water from her plastic bottle.

Setting the picture of her family by her bed on her old nightstand, she stared at it as she relaxed. "Home sweet home" she muttered before rolling over and falling asleep.

* * *

**kaikaina**\- younger brother or sister of the same sex

**hiki**\- okay

_again, if I've misused these, please let me know, I mean no disrespect, and I only want to write as authentically as possible. Thank you! _


	2. Family

_**A/N: Okay, just a taste of Tim in this chapter! lol i know...i'm a tease! but I promise, the next one will be so worth it. Please review my lovelies! xoxo **_

* * *

The next morning when Claire's alarm went off, she lay in bed, her body aching for more sleep. Her whole system was thrown off by the change in time zones, stress and the migraine she had went to sleep with, but she knew she couldn't just lay in bed all day.

Rolling out of bed she dug through her bags till she found the new sports bra she had bought the day before and pulled it on, followed quickly by deodorant and a cold weather running top she had gotten at the thrift store.

Slipping her sneakers on, she had a moment of thanks that she had worn her leggings on the plane. Tucking her house key into her small pocket, she grabbed her phone and earbuds before locking the door behind her.

Setting a smooth pace, she blinked in the early morning haze, her body adjusting to the much cooler temperatures. She had never enjoyed running until she had moved to Hawaii and seen the beaches laid out before her, just asking for her to run.

Now as she ran down the dirt paths in the woods, breathing in the scent of the pines and the fresh Harlan air, she pushed herself faster. Her lungs and legs burned, but she continued at the punishing pace.

All she could think of was her brother's voice from the last time she had spoken to him, asking for money. She should have known something was wrong, something worse than just needing money. Shaking her head, she pushed harder, despite her body's protests.

When she broke through a small clearing, she slowed and came to a stop, her chest heaving. Sweat ran down her face as she stared at the small pond, surrounded by weeping willows.

Her skin itched from the thrift store shirt she hadn't been able to wash before wearing. -_someone else's things-_ her mind whispered. A picture of her parent's house flashed in her mind at the whisper, and she shook her head.

That was stupid, it was her home now, and in the past. It wasn't someone else's things...Except that it was. She had moved away from home after her parents had died when she was 17, and had gone straight to college in Hawaii.

She hadn't thought of Harlan as home in years.

Growling with frustration, she ripped the shirt off and stood, shivering in the cold air, staring at the pond. The hard bass of the music pounded in her ears, matching her still pounding heart.

Minutes later she heard the faint sound of another runner's footsteps approaching. She didn't turn, and prayed they would continue on without saying anything. As the footsteps receded, she let out her breath and turned to see the figure of a man turn the curve ahead.

The sunlight caught his sandy blonde hair and then he was gone.

Pulling her shirt back on with a grimace, Claire turned back towards her house and finished her run at a slower pace, thinking about her brother and her family. Wishing things were different wasn't going to change a damn thing. She could only try to help Danny out of whatever he had gotten himself into, and pray it wasn't too serious.

* * *

Claire shook out her new jeans and sweater, and laid them on the bed, toweling off her damp hair. The house seemed cozier with the washer and dryer in use, and after having taken a shower, she felt more like she belonged here.

Quickly pulling on her warm clothes, she sat down at her old vanity to do her makeup, keeping it light and quick. She ran her fingers through her hair and worked out the few knots before twisting it up into a clip.

Sliding her sunglasses on, she grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder before heading out to the garage. Grabbing the keys off the wall, she opened the door and stared at her father's old motorcycle.

She had no idea if it would even start, or if it had gas. Walking over, she set her backpack down and checked the gas tank. It definitely had gas in it. Swinging her leg over, she turned the key and revved the engine, grinning when it turned over.

She quickly shut it off and went back into the house for the garage door opener. Grabbing an apple off the counter from the basket that the caretaker had filled for her, she went back to the garage and locked the door behind her.

Shoving the apple in her backpack, she pulled it on and slid the helmet on before opening the garage door. Starting the bike once more, she backed it out slowly and came face to face with the shiny black car of the Marshal.

Raylan stood in the open door of his car, his hat tilted back, one eyebrow raised, a smirk on his face. "I thought you might need a ride to the hospital, but I guess not, huh?"

Claire turned the bike off and kicked the stand down, taking her sunglasses off to smile at him, "There are only a few hospitals around here Raylan, so I made a few calls and figured out where he was. Sorry to disappoint you."

Raylan shrugged, "Nope. Just wanted to make sure you were ok. Guess I'll meet you there."

Claire nodded and put her sunglasses on, "See you." She turned the bike back over and sped away, leaving Raylan watch her go.

He shook his head, she was a hell of a woman...if he didn't have a daughter and a relationship with Wynona, he would take a shot with her. That and he thought she was nearly as fucked up as he was...Chuckling, he turned and slid into his car, following her at a more sedate pace.

* * *

Claire walked through the halls of the hospital till she came to her brother's room, and was greeted by a uniformed officer. "No entry ma'am, not till I see ID."

She nodded and dug through her bag till she found her wallet, pulling out her driver's license. "I'm his sister, and a surgeon. Can I go in now?"

The office stared at her picture for a long minute and then looked over her shoulder. "She's good Officer Harrison, thank you." Claire turned at the sound of Raylan's voice and then turned back to the officer, holding her hand out for her ID.

He smiled at her and handed it back, "Sorry ma'am, just gotta be sure." She nodded and said nothing, simply stepping into Danny's room as he held the door open for her. She heard Raylan follow, but said nothing to him.

Her hand flew to her mouth when she saw her brother. He had a bandage covering part of his head, his right arm was in a cast, and there was a bandage on his left leg as well. There was substantial bruising on a large part of his body, and she could see that he had been shot more than once from his wounds.

Turning to Raylan she stepped close and hissed, "You lied to me! You said he was shot, as in once! He is in critical condition! He's not just going to wake up sometime today!"

Raylan held up a hand and hushed her, grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the room and down the hall to the stairwell. Pushing his hat back he gave her an exasperated look, "I know, okay? I know it's bad, but we had to get you here. We need you to get his help when he does wake up. The doctors think it's going to be soon. So we need you here for when he wakes up so we can get him on board with helping us."

Claire shook her head, "Goddamit Raylan...I want to talk to your boss about how this happened, and I want to know what's happening with this case you want our help on. So help me god, if you dick us over, I will make your life hell."

Turning on her heel she walked down the stairs and out of the hospital, leaving Raylan fuming. "Christ...Shit!" he pounded a hand against the railing and pulled out his phone. He knew he better call Art so the man had time to prepare for the hell on wheels that was coming his way.

As Claire parked her motorcycle in the Marshal's lot, she sat, letting her temper cool. The long drive from Harlan to Lexington had helped, but she took the extra moment. She tucked her helmet into her backpack and rolled her shoulders, trying to ease her tension.

She heard a vehicle pull into the lot a few space down and turned to see if it was Raylan. Seeing it was a large SUV, she watched with interest as a number of Marshals exited the vehicle wearing what she assumed was tactical gear.

They were laughing and joking, patting each other on the back, especially one young man. He wasn't joining the others in their laughter and only gave tight smiles back occasionally. He held a long barreled rifle with a high powered scope on it, and as he walked past her, he slung it over his shoulder, sparing her a glance.

Claire raised a brow at him and was rewarded when one side of his mouth twitched into a semblance of a smile before he continued by.

A few minutes later Raylan's car pulled up and he sauntered over, his face stony. Holding up a hand she shook her head, "Wait, before you get all snippy, let me apologize for being short earlier. I was taken aback by Danny's condition, and I shouldn't have taken that out on you. But you should have been clearer with me about his condition."

Raylan stared at her, assessing and then nodded, "Fine, you may be right. But don't go tearing off like that again. I can't keep you safe if I can't know where you are."

Claire stood and slung her backpack on, "Am I actually in danger?"

Raylan shrugged, "We don't know for sure yet. But it's likely. So keep your head down and come inside so we can brief you."

Claire nodded and followed him inside. She followed him into the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently as they moved slowly. Raylan smiled over at her, "You're a nervous thing huh?"

Claire grinned, "Bi-product of too much coffee and long hours in surgery. You get a buildup of energy that you have to do something with. I thought my run this morning did it, but I guess not."

Raylan nodded, "What kind of surgeon are you?"

Claire raised a brow, "You mean you don't already have a file on me?"

Raylan laughed, "Let's say for the sake of conversation I don't."

Claire grinned, "Trauma surgeon. Last week I was working on a guy who was in a car accident and I found cancer. Pretty fucking sweet."

Raylan nodded, "That is." The doors opened and they walked into a large open space with a few desks, and beyond that, a glassed in office next to a large conference room.

Raylan waved her over to the office and led her in, introducing her to the man behind the desk, "Dr. Claire Bennett, this Chief Deputy Art Mullen." Claire nodded and stepped forward to shake the man's hand, giving him a warm smile.

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am" Art said with a tight smile.

Claire nodded, "You as well sir, I just wish it was under better circumstances."

Art nodded, "Of course. I think we should move this into the conference room and have the whole team in there. Raylan you wanna grab everyone?" Raylan nodded and went out, whistling and making a "round up" movement with one hand, pointing to the conference room.

Claire followed Art into the conference room and sat down, staring up at the bulletin board covered with pictures, notes and pieces of paper. When she saw the main picture at the top, she stood, instinctually drawn to it.

She heard the rest of the group sit behind her and she spoke softly, "You're going after Boyd Crowder." It wasn't a question, and when Art spoke, he sounded surprised at her reaction, "Yes ma'am, you know him?"

She turned to face the room and nodded, "He was a few years ahead of me at school, but I definitely remember him. He dated a friend of mine, and he hit her. Not where you could see, but it showed up when she was changing for soccer practice. He hit her so hard she lost the baby she had only told me about."

There was venom in her voice when she looked back at his picture, "If you want to get this sack of shit, you have my full cooperation."

Raylan and Art exchanged a look before Art cleared his throat, "Uh, very good. Why don't you have a seat, and we'll discuss the particulars of the case?" Claire nodded and glanced around before taking her seat beside him.

Art nodded at her and then motioned around the table, "You know Raylan, but let me introduce my other Deputies." He pointed to a young black woman, "This is Rachel Brooks." Rachel waved a hand and gave Claire a kind smile, her eyes lighting up with warmth.

Claire liked her instantly, and smiled back. Art moved on to the man sitting next to Rachel, who Claire realized she had seen in the parking lot. As then, he wasn't smiling now. Art motioned to him, "And this is Tim Gutterson."

Tim nodded at her; still not smiling and Claire tilted her head, trying to get a read on the man, but after a moment dismissed him and turned her attention back to Art. "Thank you for the introductions Art, I appreciate it. Now, would you mind telling me what the hell happened to my brother?"

Art leaned forward and nodded slowly, "Well…about two days ago there was a robbery at First National in Harlan. From witness description of the man leading it and the MO, we think it was Boyd. Your brother was one of the bag men, and he was shot by responding officers, most likely because he was high at the time, and he wasn't paying attention to their movements like he was supposed to. His buddies left him, and the police took him into custody before he started to crash and then they took him to the hospital."

Claire closed her eyes as her face dropped into her hands. High? Christ, Danny had always had a drinking problem, but drugs? _No wonder he sounded so terrible the last time we talked, he was wasted-_she thought.

"Ms. Bennett, you alright?" Art asked quietly. Claire sighed and turned to look at him, anger and resignation in every line on her face.

"No, I'm not alright. Danny is the only family I have left, and he is lying in a hospital bed in a coma because he can't act like an adult. I have to save his ass from the fire yet again, and I can't fathom what it must be like to have a normal goddamn family. Christ!"

She ran a hand over her face and shook her head.

Art sighed, "Claire, this ain't going to be easy. Can you hang in there?"

She nodded and gave him a weary smile, "Sure. Just another thing in a long line of Danny Bennett bullshit. What's next?"

Art smirked and nodded, "Okay, so let's get to the plan. When your brother wakes up, we're going to want you to be there first thing. Yall need to repair whatever bridges have been burnt, and then you need to convince him to turn into a confidential informant for us. Shouldn't be too hard considering Boyd and his men left him to die."

Claire barked out a laugh, "Right. You clearly don't know my brother." Art sighed, "Well, if he proves difficult, we'll just charge him for the robbery and throw him in lockup until he changes his mind."

Claire whitened and gripped the table, her head spinning. Her eyes shut and she heard the Marshals talking amongst themselves, discussing the case. A hand nudged hers and she cracked an eye open, finding a cup of coffee in front of her, with a few packets of sugar and a creamer beside it.

The other male Deputy…Tim, that was it, nodded at her, and waved a hand at her, "Drink, your blood sugar is low." She stared at him, wondering how he could know that. She was positive he was right, but most people were completely unaware of other's well being.

She nodded and added the sugar and creamer to the coffee before sipping it slowly. After a few minutes she felt the headache that had been creeping up begin to recede, and she no longer felt like ripping someone's face off.

"Well, Ms. Bennett, we're done with you for today, unless you have more questions?" Art asked. Claire shook her head and stood, "No, thank you. I would like to get home, if that's ok."

Art nodded, "If at any time you feel unsafe, or Boyd makes contact, you call one of us. We'll be there as soon as we can."

Nodding, Claire smiled at each of the Marshals, "Thank you. My daddy had quite a few guns, so I think I'll be ok. But I swear I'll let you know if anything comes up."

Grabbing her backpack from the floor, she waved goodbye to the group and walked out to the elevators, sighing in relief when the doors swung open a moment later. When she made her way outside, she sighed, it was freezing, and it was starting to sprinkle. She would need to rent a car, and go buy more clothes that would withstand this weather.

Climbing onto her bike, she spared a glance for the sky and frowned at it; grey and cloudy, just like her mood…perfect.


	3. The Way the Night Ends

_**A/N: Here he is ladies and gents! :D Hope you are enjoying this story! Please review! Also title of the story and the inspiration for the story came from the song "Give you what you like" by avril lavigne. It's so raw and when I heard it I thought of Tim instantly. So give it a listen, especially during this chapter! xoxo **_

* * *

That night Tim sat at the bar, sipping on a beer, his third, while he perused the room. He sat with his back to the wall, easy sightline of the whole room, and a quick exit if need be.

He thought back to the hostage situation he had been called to last night that had dragged over till this morning. A mob hit man had found their WITSEC person, and when she had broken free and gotten a message to the Marshals, the man had beaten her half to death and taken her hostage.

The standoff had lasted for hours before the man had made a mistake and Tim had been able to get a clean shot.

Tim had put one between his eyes, and supposed he should have felt bad about it, but mostly, he just felt numb. The woman had thanked him repeatedly afterwards before going into shock, and he hadn't said anything, just walked away and gotten into the car.

He hated his brain for making him see it over and over again, with his kills from the sandbox thrown in for good measure. He wasn't sure he knew how to not see them anymore.

Wincing, he sucked the rest of the beer down and waved the bartender down and handed it over, "Whiskey, neat" he muttered. The woman nodded and came back a few minutes later with his drink and a smile.

He nodded and ignored her smile, simply sipping on the whisky, letting the smooth burn of it chase away the foul taste in his mouth.

He looked around the room and saw couples everywhere, dancing, drinking, in the corners whispering and kissing, and his stomach clenched. He took a long pull of the whiskey and looked down the bar at the pretty redhead who had been eyeing him for the last half hour and saw her drink was nearly empty.

Knocking back the rest of his whiskey he waved the bartender over and pointed to the girl, "Whatever she's having and another whiskey for me."

The redhead smirked and sauntered over, her electric blue dress tight and leaving little to the imagination. Tim sighed and turned towards her, already knowing where the night would end, but wanting it anyways.

"Thanks for the drink" she murmured, leaning towards him, allowing him a better view of her spectacular cleavage.

Tim nodded, "Sure thing. What's your name?"

The woman grinned, "Candice, but my friends call me Candy."

Tim let out a small sigh, "I bet they do." Picking up his whiskey he saluted her with it and knocked half back.

Candice smirked, "I guess I'll have to catch up."

Tim nodded, "Hurry up, I'm not staying long."

Candice raised a brow, "And what about me?"

Tim shrugged, "You can either stay here or come with me."

She grinned and took a hearty swig of her drink, "Let's get out of here then."

* * *

Later, as Tim lay next to her, his breathing still evening out from their intense bout of sex, he looked over at Candice, her red hair flared out on the pillow and in a split second saw not her face, but the man he had shot the day before; eyes wide as the bullet entered his skull, the blood spattering the white wall behind him.

Tim froze, his hands clenching into fists. He ripped his gaze away from her and stared up at the blank ceiling, unable to picture anything but the man's face.

He heard Candice say something, but couldn't reply.

He felt her hands on his taut chest, but couldn't move.

After a few moments he heard her say something that sounded like "screw you" and felt her get up from the bed, gather up her clothes and leave the room. He felt the slight sheen of sweat on his body cool in the air and struggled to move, to do anything.

He hated feeling like this, unable to move, trapped in memories. Finally, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths, and after a few minutes, opened his eyes again, no longer seeing the man's face. Sitting up, he ran a hand over his face and then stood, grabbing his boxers off the floor to pull them on.

Heading out to the kitchen, he looked out through the bay window in the living room and saw Candice getting into a taxi and pulling away. He felt no guilt for letting her go without saying anything, she was just another woman in a long line of women. Turning to the cupboards he opened one and grabbed a bottle of Wild Turkey and a glass.

Pouring himself a glass, he sat at his kitchen table and sipped it slowly. The moonlight poured through the bay window into the living room, painting it white, like the desert sand. Groaning, he drank more and slammed the glass onto the table, the whiskey sloshing in the glass.

Running his hands through his hair, Tim gripped it and pulled, hoping the pain would chase away the memories. When he closed his eyes he could see the bright sun on the hot sand, hear the commands in his ear, telling him to take out the target, see the target through his scope...

With a growl of frustration, he opened his eyes and grabbed his glass, swallowing the rest of the whiskey before pouring more in and drinking that too. He continued to drink, drowning out the thoughts of gunfire, the men he had killed, and washed away the guilt as best he knew how; glancing at the clock occasionally.

When it was finally 2:30am he set the glass down and stumbled to bed, flopping down, his breathing ragged. He no longer felt anything but drunk.

Before he fell asleep, he wondered if he would ever be able to fall asleep without drinking, and if he would ever find a woman who wouldn't leave in the middle of the night pissed at him. Stars swam in his eyes before he passed out.

* * *

The next morning Tim's head pounded as he listened to the blender whirl. His only true cure for a hangover was a smoothie; kale, banana, frozen fresh fruit, peanut butter, and protein yogurt.

He drank it as he drove to work, his sunglasses blocking most of the light, but his eyes still aching. When he sank into his chair at work he ran a hand over his face and rifled through his desk looking for Advil.

Rachel smirked at him, and tossed her bottle at him, "Here, take four, you look rough." He nodded his thanks and knocked them back with a cup of coffee, swallowing hard when his stomach tried to revolt.

Raylan peered at him over the glass divide and grinned, "You look like shit Timmy. What did you get up to last night?"

Tim continued to stare at his computer screen and flipped Raylan off; there was no way he was telling Raylan about his night. Raylan laughed and turned back to his computer, "Well, just to let you know, you have a hickey on your neck."

Tim's head snapped up to stare at Raylan, "I do not."

Raylan grinned at him, "You do." Tim was out of his seat in a shot and into the bathroom to stare at his neck, where he did, in fact, have a hickey.

"Son of a bitch!" he swore, running a hand over it. He looked like a fifteen year old.

When he came back out of the bathroom Rachel held out a makeup compact, "It's not your shade, but I thought I'd offer." She had a wicked grin on her face and Tim couldn't help the small grin that crept onto his face in return. Shaking his head he flipped her off and returned to his desk. The day passed slowly as his headache eased, and he had little appetite.

Raylan waved a greasy hamburger under his nose at lunch and Tim shot out of his seat, "I'm going for a walk, be back." Raylan laughed and waved him off.

Tim slid his sunglasses on and walked outside, pulling his warm winter coat on as his did, feeling the bite in the air. He walked over to the small park nearby and sat on the park bench, letting the little sunshine there was soak into his skin and ease away the remains of his headache.

A short time later he heard the revving of a motorcycle engine and turned, seeing the woman from the day before, Claire Bennett, pull up. She parked her bike and swung off, pulling her helmet off and hung it on the handles. She turned, as though she felt him watching her, and waved, before walking over.

She smiled at him and stood by his side, "You look like a cat, sunning itself."

Tim snorted, "Isn't much sun, but I see what you mean."

Claire motioned to the bench, "Would you mind if I join you?"

Tim shook his head, "Go ahead." She sat down next to him on the small bench, her hip barely touching his. Reaching up she unclipped her hair and sighed as it dropped down around her shoulders in loose waves.

Tim caught the scent of honeysuckle as her fingers ran through her hair, and he asked, "Do you miss Hawaii?"

Claire looked at him, a bitter smile on her face, "Of course. Harlan and Kentucky haven't been home for me for a very long time." Tim nodded, if he lived in Hawaii, he would probably consider this the last place on Earth he would want to be.

"What's it like?" he asked softly. Claire looked at him in surprise. "Hawaii?" she asked. Tim nodded, he had never been anywhere but the Middle East, and a few other states for military training.

Claire smiled as she thought of home, "It's...paradise. I mean really. It's warm almost all the time. And yea the humidity is havoc on my hair, but when you see dolphins swimming beside you in the ocean, and birds of paradise flying overhead while you hike, that's a small price to pay."

She sighed and continued, "Seeing the ocean every day is a blessing. It's calming when I can't think straight, and it's the break I need when work is too stressful. I've seen hurricanes, and I swear, that's made me believe in God more than anything else."

She shook her head and smiled at Tim, "Sorry, that's probably not what you meant, huh?"

Tim stared at her for a moment and then nodded, "Actually, your description is better than some tour book. Makes me want to see it."

Claire blushed, "Thanks" and turned her attention away for a few moments. When she looked back at the Marshal she raised a brow, and asked, "Is that a hickey on your neck?"

To her surprise, a blush rose on his cheeks, and he raised a hand to cover it for a moment before muttering, "Yea, so?"

Claire laughed and shook her head, "Well as a medical professional, I can only advise that you use protection with whoever was classy enough to leave that in such an obvious place."

Tim smirked, "Obvious?" Claire grinned and stood, stretching. As her shirt lifted to reveal a strip of smooth tanned stomach Tim's eyes were drawn to a hint of a tattoo on her hip.

"I'm just saying that if you're going to leave a hickey, you do it somewhere that only the person you're leaving it for can see. Then it's a secret." Peering at Tim over her shades she took in his pallor and smirked, "Get something to eat, or that hangover is going to kick your ass."

As she walked away Tim called out, "What are you doing here anyway?"

Claire called back, "Oh nothing, just had an idea of how you guys could get information on Boyd faster. Thought maybe I would be your CI."

Tim whipped around to face her retreating figure. She was volunteering to walk into the mouth of the lion? There was no way Art would allow that...and yet he stood and followed her, his respect for Claire growing, and his interest in her lighting like a small flame.


	4. Cleaning House

_**A/N: HEHEHE this chapter was just fun to write. I hope yall enjoy it! Please review and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you! xoxox**_

* * *

Art shook his head, "No. No way in hell am I letting you put yourself in that kind of danger."

Claire rolled her eyes, "Right, unlike the kind of danger you wanted me to be in trying to get my brother to be a CI, going back and forth between you guys and Boyd?"

Art glared at her, but she simply stared him down. Raylan smothered a smile. She had balls, he had to admit that. When she had marched into Art's office with her proposal, he had watched Art explode from a distance, and had only a moment later heard Tim's voice murmur, "She wants to be our CI instead of her brother. She thinks she can go undercover with Boyd's crew and supply us with information."

Raylan had turned and looked at his partner with surprise, but Tim had just shrugged at him. "She's ballsy, I'll give her that" Tim had murmured. Raylan had nodded, and both men had gone back to eavesdropping on the argument.

After a moment of Art and Claire glaring at each other Tim sighed and walked forward, opening the door, "Boss, she's got a point. We don't know when her brother is going to wake up. Boyd isn't going to want a man who can't run around, but he is going to want a woman with a pretty face, medical knowledge, and the technical knowhow to fire a gun. She's our best bet."

Art's brows shot up at Tim's speech, but he nodded, "Fine, but you just won protection duty."

Claire opened her mouth to protest but Art held up a hand, "You want to do this? Then he stays close by, keeping you safe." Claire frowned and nodded.

"Fine, but he can't stay in the house. Boyd and his men will be by, especially after Danny comes home."

Art nodded, "We have an apartment in Harlan we trade off with the Feds for. They aren't using it right now." Tim groaned, that place was disgusting.

Art frowned at him, "I know son, but we don't have the funds for anyplace else."

Tim sighed and nodded, "Fine. I'll be there by this afternoon." Claire nodded and stood, "Good, let's go."

When she had walked out of Art's office, Art restrained Tim with a hand motion, "You good for this?" He had seen Tim's demeanor earlier, and knew that the hostage situation from the day before had taken it out of him, but Tim was more reliable than Raylan in these situations.

Tim nodded, "Fine boss. Just tired." Art assessed him for a moment and then nodded, "Alright" he drawled, "Get outta here. Check in when you get to Harlan, and every six hours after that."

Tim nodded and walked to his desk, gathering up his few things before briefing Raylan and Rachel.

"Art didn't want me on this?" Raylan asked, curious. Tim shook his head, "You keep on Boyd from the other angles, and I've got this. We each have our things to bring him down man. Team effort."

Rachel nodded, "Stay safe Tim." He nodded to her and walked out to the elevator, riding it in silence for once. When he walked out to the parking lot he was surprised to see Claire still there, leaning against his SUV.

She smiled and peered over her shades at him, "Still haven't had lunch yet have you?"

He frowned, "How do you know that?"

She grinned, "Because you're paler than a sheet, and I can see your pulse beating in your throat."

He stared at her, and shook his head, she had to be kidding. Claire smiled, "Why don't you follow me to this great fried chicken place? It's about twenty minutes from here. I haven't had lunch yet either."

Tim sighed and shrugged, "Fine".

Hopping away, she loped over to her bike and started it, pulling her helmet on before circling and leading the way.

Twenty minutes later they had parked in front of a diner, and when they entered, Tim's stomach growled loudly. The waitress greeted the sound with a laugh and seated them quickly, shouting to the cook, "Heads up Earl, we got a lively one!"

Claire grinned as the woman walked away, having taken their orders. She sipped on her water and watched as Tim sucked his down in large gulps.

Turning her attention out the window, she stared at the grey sky, the sun having disappeared behind the clouds.

"Why are you really volunteering to be a CI?" Tim asked softly.

Claire continued to stare out the window as darker clouds rolled in. She would be lucky if they made it to Harlan without it raining.

"Because…nobody ever believed in Danny. Not even our parents. He was always a screw up. But they never believed he could be anything more, and they never pushed him to do better. Maybe if I get him out of this, and I push him to do better, he'll actually do better."

She sighed, and turned back to face Tim, "I don't know. Maybe he won't. But I have to help him, what kind of sister would I be if I didn't?"

Tim nodded slowly, wondering what it would be like to have family that actually gave a shit about you. After he came back from the war, he had gone to visit his mom, and had found her half drunk, and barely recognizing him.

He hadn't been back since.

They ate in relative silence after their food came, and when the bill came, Claire flopped bills down before Tim could get his wallet out. When he raised a brow she smiled and stood, "You can pay me back by keeping me alive."

He chuckled and nodded, and followed her out of the diner. Claire smiled as she straddled her bike, sliding her helmet back on; -_he has a nice laugh -_she thought to herself.

As they sped back to Harlan, the storm clouds chased them, pelting Claire with icy drops of rain just often enough and just hard enough that by the time they arrived at Tim's apartment, she was shivering with cold.

She pulled to a stop beside his SUV and shuddered, "C-can I-I c-come in f-for a m-minute?" Tim nodded, alarmed at her blue lips.

Hurrying up the steps, he wrestled with the stubborn lock and threw the door open, to find the apartment completely trashed. It was filthy, smelly and damp. Claire groaned and stood in the doorway shivering.

Tim looked over his shoulder at her and swore under his breath. Walking over to the windows, he cracked one to let in fresh air and then came back, nudging Claire out of the door with a gentle hand to her hip.

"Come on, we'll go to your place" he murmured. Claire shook her head, "W-we c-can't. If B-Boyd is watching me, he'll s-see us."

Tim shook his head, "Don't worry about it."

He grabbed her hand and led her back down the stairs to his SUV where he grabbed an old baseball cap and a plaid jacket out of the backseat. Putting both on, he grabbed her backpack and stuffed his badge and gun in before slinging it over his back.

Claire nodded, he looked more normal now. When she sat down on the bike and fumbled to start it, she jumped at the feeling of Tim sitting down gently behind her, his body tight against hers. His body heat slowly sank into hers as his arms came around and his fingers plucked the keys out of her hands.

Tucking them in his pocket for the moment, he grabbed her hands for a moment and brought them up to his mouth to blow on them gently, until they were warmed and loosened. Claire felt a ripple of pleasure run across her body at the sensation of his breath on her skin, and shrugged her shoulders, inadvertently pressing their bodies closer.

Tugging her hands free she muttered, "Thanks…" and leaned forward, trying to put distance between them. Tim said nothing but handed her the keys back, and grabbed her hips when the engine started and they pulled away from the curb.

Ten minutes later they pulled into her driveway, and both Tim and Claire leapt off the bike like it was made of molten metal. Claire opened the garage pushed the bike inside, closing the door behind them.

"I'm fine now" she murmured softly, waving a hand at the house, "I'm just going to take a hot shower."

Tim nodded, "Mmm. Well, I don't think I should let you stay here alone."

Claire rolled her eyes, "I'll be fine, I swear. And remember we don't want Boyd's men seeing you here since they're probably watching me."

Tim shrugged, "Fine, but get one of your dad's guns out when I leave, and make sure all the doors and windows are locked. Give me your phone."

Claire hesitated, "What for?"

He sighed, "So you have my number in case you need me."

Claire nodded, "Right" before handing her phone to him. He noted that her fingertips where white with cold, and her hand still shook.

Grabbing the phone from her, he tapped his number in and saved it before handing it back. He stared at her for a long moment, seeing the cold, fear and something else in her face all compounding to create a portrait of sadness and beauty he had never seen before.

After a long moment he spoke softly, "If you need anything, just call. I'll be here." Claire nodded, trusting instinctively that he would do just that. She watched as he pulled his jacket tighter around his body and walked to the garage door, waiting for her to open it for him.

When he had disappeared from sight, she shut it again and went into the house, locking the house tight. Still shivering as she walked up the stairs, she tugged her jacket off as she went into the bathroom to turn the shower on.

As the bathroom filled with steam, she stripped out of her other clothes and climbed into the hot water, skin shuddering at the sensation. As she stood under the hot waterfall, she thought back to the motorcycle ride with Tim, and the moment when he had held her hands in his.

Her head had been right next to his, and she had been able to smell his skin, warm and scented only with a clean soap smell. It was in the moment when he had been warming her hands, and her core had heated as well, that she had realized she was attracted to him.

She had been surprised, normally, with her track record, she would have been going after Raylan. But there was something about this man, his silence often led to him saying something important-it made her want to listen to everything he had to say.

Shaking her head, Claire grabbed her body wash and quickly scrubbed down before getting out of the shower, wrapping her new robe around her.

When she had dressed in her flannel pajamas and warm socks, she went down stairs to the living room to light a fire in the fireplace and read for awhile. It had been so long since she had been able to this; she was actually excited by the prospect.

As she sank into the chair, the fire crackling, and a blanket pulled over her lap, she sighed with contentment. Pulling her book out of her backpack, she settled in and read for a few chapters before the buzzing of her phone interrupted her.

Picking it up, she saw a text from Tim.

_This place is horrible. I'm staying in a hotel down the street from you. Let me know if you need anything._

Grinning, she texted back, _I'm good, settled in with my book by the fire. Sorry your place is a shithole. Why don't I help you clean tomorrow?_

A few moments later Tim replied, _You don't need to do that. _

Claire smiled, _I know, but that place is gross, and if you're going to be keeping me alive, the least I can do is help you make it livable. See you tomorrow at 8am._

There was a long couple of minutes and then, _See you tomorrow. Thanks._

Claire smiled and went back to reading her book until her stomach reminded her that she hadn't had dinner. Heading out to the kitchen she scrounged through until she found some microwave popcorn and grabbed an apple as well.

After another few hours of reading, her fire was burning low, and her eyes were growing tired. Tossing her trash, she banked the fire and tossed the blanket over the back of the chair.

Walking through the house she checked all of the windows and the front door before going to her father's study and opening the large safe, pulling a shotgun and shells out before closing the door and locking it.

Heading up to her room, she loaded the gun and set it on her vanity before climbing into bed. Taking a picture of it she sent it to Tim, _Sleep tight, I'm tucked in with Daddy's gun by my bed._

Before she fell asleep her phone buzzed with a reply, _Sleep well. Glad something is there to keep you safe._

Grinning, she rolled over and set her phone down before closing her eyes, wondering where Tim would have slept if he had stayed….it was an interesting thought that kept a smile on her face as she fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning Tim was awoken by the sound of knocking on his front door, and he moved quickly to answer it. He was greeted by the sight of Claire holding up a coffee carrier and a white to go bag.

Thrusting towards him, she grinned at the sight of his mussed hair and sleepy face. "Here, coffee and doughnuts." He nodded and took them from her, inhaling the scent of the coffee and sugary sweetness of the doughnuts.

Claire grinned as Tim walked over to the kitchen table, his jeans slung low on his hips, and his flannel hanging open to reveal a tight white tank top.

Looking around the apartment, Claire wrinkled her nose, it was worse in the light of day. Walking into the kitchen, she crouched down and rummaged through the cupboards pulling out garbage bags, and a half empty container of Clorox wipes.

Standing up she found Tim watching her from the island. She held up the garbage bags and Clorox and shook her head, "We need cleaning supplies. Why don't I borrow your car and go grab some while you start cleaning up the trash in general?"

Tim nodded his mouth full of doughnut. He went into the bedroom and grabbed his keys and came back out, tossing them on the counter. He swallowed and watched as Claire grabbed the keys and her purse, giving him a smile, "I'll be back soon, get to work Marshal!"

He nodded and gave her a mock salute, his lips twitching in a hint of a smile. She grinned at him before the door shut, and when she was gone, Tim felt as though a small but forceful tornado had just been through.

Shaking his head, he grabbed a trash bag and began to pick up the take out containers and boxes left behind by the Feds.

Half an hour later he heard his phone buzz and set the trash bag down, going to see who it was that was texting him.

_Come downstairs, I bought groceries too._

Tim stared at the text for a moment and then sighed; he hadn't asked her to do that. Slipping his boots on, he ran down the stairs and out to the car where Claire was waiting. She opened the back of the SUV and grinned sheepishly at him.

There were more bags than she could carry, he could see that. Raising a brow at her, he said nothing but grabbed as many as he could carry and lurched away.

"Thank you Tim!"She called after him.

"Two trips are for the weak!" he called back. When he heard her laugh, a smile of his own crept over his lips.

Depositing the bags on the kitchen counter, he turned and found Claire close behind, and helped her set her bags down. When he moved to unpack the groceries, Claire shook her head, "No, we need to deep clean this place first. It's nasty."

Raising his hands in surrender he backed away from the bags and leaned against the fridge, "Okay, so where do you want to start?"

Claire ran a hand over her hair and sighed, "Well, how about I take the kitchen while you do the living room? We dust and scrub everything, then do the floors. Then we do your room and bathroom."

Tim nodded, "Sounds good."

Claire nodded and pulled her hair up into a bun before digging through the bags to pull out two buckets, mops, rags, cleaning products, and wood polish.

Tim stared at her and then laughed, "Did ya get enough?"

Claire grinned, "Well, now we can leave some for the Feds with a note not to be such nasty assholes next time."

Tim laughed, "Okay, then let's get to it."

Claire pulled her phone out and set it on the counter, putting the radio on and began to hum along as she climbed onto the counters to clean them out. Pulling dirty plates and cookware out she gagged and tossed them into the sink.

The time passed quickly as she scrubbed out the cabinets high and low, the pile of items to be washed growing. When she had finished with the cabinets, Claire piled everything into the dishwasher she could fit and poured in the detergent, turning it on and then rolled up her flannel sleeves.

"Time for dishes" she muttered, brushing a hair out of her face. While the sink filled with water, she glanced out to the living room and smiled, Tim was hard at work, cleaning windows.

He had taken his flannel shirt off and was working in just his jeans and tank, and her pulse kicked up a notch at the sight of his muscles flexing as he worked. When he turned to grab the spray bottle of cleaner, he caught her staring at him and smirked.

Heat flushed in Claire's cheeks and she hastily turned back to the sink which was now half full of hot water and bubbles. Grabbing dirty dishes, she began to scrub vigorously, concentrating on the task, and determined not to think about Tim's muscled arms…or chest…or abs…

Sighing, she shook her head and smirked at herself. It had clearly been too long since she had gotten laid. When the radio station started playing an Adele song, she grinned and started singing along, loudly.

Glancing over at Tim, she grinned and called out, "Come on, everybody loves Adele!"

He shook his head, "I don't sing."

Claire shook her head in disbelief, "Everybody sings, some people just aren't good." Smiling, she continued to sing and wash the dishes. When the song was over she hummed along to the next and the next until she was done with the dishes. Pulling the plug, she let the water drain out of the sink and stepped back, frowning when she saw that her flannel had gotten wet.

Sighing, she unbuttoned it and pulled it off, tying it around her waist. Grabbing the washcloth from the sink, she filled her bucket with hot water and cleaner once again and turned to the fridge.

Once she had scrubbed it down, she started putting the groceries away and dried the dishes on the counter with one of the dish towels she had bought. After she had put everything away, she sighed and stared at the floor, scrubbing on her hands and knees was one of her least favorite things.

Grabbing the broom she swept quickly and threw the dirt and dust into the trash and then knelt on the ground with her bucket. Scrubbing thoroughly, she moved over the floor slowly, getting at tough spots until her back ached.

Taking a break she rested on her haunches and wiped at her brow, stretching her back.

Tim stood in the kitchen doorway, staring at Claire's hunched form. He had come in to ask for something, and then had gotten distracted by the sight of her ass, clad in black leggings, facing him, bouncing around as she scrubbed.

His entire body had tensed as he stood watching her, and he knew he should stop, but he couldn't move away. When she came to a stop and sat back, he cleared his throat nervously, "Uh Claire…can I get some wood wipes?"

Claire glanced over her shoulder to find Tim in the doorway looking suspiciously guilty, but she smiled tiredly and nodded. Pointing to the small pantry, "In there."

He nodded and leaned in to grab a bottle and then stared at her for a second before hurrying away.

Claire turned back to the floor and continued to scrub, but wondered, _just how long had Tim been standing there? _

When she stood from the finished floor, she let out a groan as her knees and back protested. Turning to the living room, she found that it was nearly done, the floors just needed done.

Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was nearly 11:30am. They still needed to do the bedroom and bathroom. Sighing she rubbed at the small of her back and wandered into the bedroom to see what state it was in.

Claire stood staring, unable to believe Tim had slept here. The bed was bare of any covering, and there was only one small lumpy pillow on the bed. The room itself was clean, but dusty. Peering into the bathroom, she made a face. That would be all Tim.

Turning around she found Tim mopping the living room floor and smiled, it was an oddly domestic sight from a man who she had seen handle a rifle just as comfortably as the mop.

Turning back to the bedroom she walked over to the bed and sat down on it, bouncing for a moment before laying back. She closed her eyes, it wasn't so bad…it could use a pillow top.

After a moment her back un-tensed and she changed her mind, maybe this was the best bed in the world.

Tim was once again in the position of seeing something that left him completely caught off guard. He had heard Claire walk to his room and assumed she was going to use the bathroom, but when she hadn't come out, had thought he had better check on her.

Now, he found her, spread out on his bed, eyes closed, arms thrown behind her head, a smile on her lips. Her tank top was pulled tight against her breasts and as she took deep even breaths, they peeked over the top of her shirt, making him want to pull it off and fill his hands with them.

Running a hand over his face he bit back a groan and shook his head before speaking, "Enjoying the bed?"

Claire's eyes popped open and she looked at the upside down figure of Tim, cursing his timing, and from the look on his face, her positioning. "It's not so bad. You need some sheets though. Why don't we take a break and buy some?"

Tim sighed at her, "I slept fine without them last night."

Claire sat up and face him, "Yea, well this isn't Fallujah Tim; you don't have to be just _fine."_

He started at her sharp words and then nodded slowly, "Okay. Fine."

Claire stood and brushed past him pulling her flannel back on and grabbing her purse. "Let's go."

Tim followed her out to the SUV but was surprised when she tossed him the keys, "I'm tired, you drive."

He nodded and climbed behind the wheel, "Where to?"

She slid her sunglasses on and reclined the seat a bit, "Walmart."

Tim nodded and navigated them there quickly, not saying anything to cut the tension that had built between them. When they walked into the store, Clair cut ahead and began to look at the sheets, shaking her head when he picked up a simple white set.

She finally held up a set of navy blue cotton sheets and handed them over, "These. Now let's get pillows and a comforter."

Tim sighed, "I don't get a say in this do I?" Claire shook her head, "Not really Tim."

He sighed again and followed her to the comforters, occasionally pointing to one he liked. Finally they settled on one they both agreed on, a chocolate brown with dark blue, light blue and white pinstripes. Claire grabbed two semi firm pillows and added them to the pile.

He stared at the pillows, "How do you know I like those?"

She shrugged, "Do you?"

He nodded and followed her to the register. When they had split the items they went back to the car and Claire sighed, "Can we get something to eat? I'm ready to eat the pillows."

Tim grinned softly and nodded, "Pizza ok? There's a good spot nearby."

Claire nodded, "As long as we get beer."

Tim nodded, "No other way."

He called their order in and twenty minutes later when they pulled in, he ran in to grab the food, leaving a napping Claire in the car. When he came back and put the pizza and beer in the back, he slid in as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb her.

When they arrived back at the apartment he reached out and shook her gently, smiling when she made a sleepy noise and gave him a confused look. He brushed hair out of her face, "We're back. Pizza time."

Claire nodded and rubbed her face, trying to wake up. Stumbling out of the car she went to the back and grabbed some of the bags, following Tim upstairs. When he went to open the pizza and beer, she shook her head, "Nope. First we make the bed. Then we eat."

Tim sighed and stared at the pizza longingly and then nodded. They went into the bedroom and unpacked everything, working together to make the bed. When they were done, Claire nudged Tim's arm with her own, "See, looks much more appealing."

He nodded, "You may be right." She grinned and shook her head, "Come on, let's eat."

They went out to the couch and sank down with grateful groans, eating from the box and sipping on beers. Tim held his beer out, "You rock, cheers."

Claire looked at him in surprise and then smiled shyly, "Thanks Tim. You rock too." She clinked her bottle against his and took a sip of her beer.

Tim shook his head, "No I mean it, few women would work this hard to help someone they barely know."

Claire shrugged, "You're putting your life on the line for me."

Tim shook his head, "That's my job. You don't even have to be nice to me, and I still have to do that. I'm just sayin, I appreciate what you did here."

Claire smiled at him, "Anytime Tim. Really." He smiled back at her, a brief fleeting one, but it was a smile that Claire wanted to see again.

Looking around, Claire nodded, "This place isn't half bad now. It could use some curtains and some candles, but you know its okay."

Tim laughed, "The Feds are going to think we got some sort of budget influx." Claire laughed, "Well the bank of Claire is limited to thrift stores and dollar stores."

Tim shook his head, "Don't waste any more of your money on this place."

Claire raised a hand, "If you say so."

Draining her beer she reached for another slice and grabbed another beer, "You want another?"

Tim nodded, and she handed him another. When they had finished the pizza and the six pack, she stood, stretching her back.

"Okay, let's get to that bathroom" she said with a small groan as her back popped.

Tim shook his head, "Nope, you get outta here. You did enough today. That lady at Walmart recognized you, and that means word is going to spread. Boyd is going to be coming for you soon."

Claire stared at him; she hadn't put that thought together. "Do you think it'll be soon?" she asked hesitantly.

Tim shrugged, not wanting to worry her, "It could be tonight, but I think it's more likely to be this weekend. You could preempt him and go to his bar. That would be a surefire way to piss off Art and Raylan."

Claire laughed, "Yea…but it might just be what we need to get me in." She sighed and shrugged her coat on, grabbing her purse. "I'll let you know what I decide to do before it happens."

Tim nodded, and walked her to the door, standing in the doorway with her. "Let me know if you need me."

Claire nodded and gave him a tired smile, "You wore me out Gutterson." Leaning in she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

When she pulled away he couldn't help but quip, "I'm still fresh, you'll have to work harder."

He had the satisfaction of watching her eyes widen at his comment, and then as she turned and walked away, a sashay in her hips, she called over her shoulder, "I wouldn't want to hurt you soldier, but if you think you can keep up…maybe next time."


	5. Awake

_**A/N: Long chapter ahead! But oh boy...is it good. Hehehe! This one took awhile to finish, because I needed to get their relationship to move forward correctly. So I hope yall like it and review! Thanks!xoxox**_

* * *

Saturday morning found Claire sound asleep at 10 am, her longest time sleeping in since she had completed sophomore year of undergrad. When her phone began to buzz insistently she rolled over and reached for it, still half asleep when she answered.

"This is Claire?" she spoke, her voice raspy with sleep.

Tim hesitated a moment, her sleep heavy voice making him wish he could see her face. Shaking off the hesitation he spoke softly, "Claire, its Tim. You're brothers awake."

Claire's eyes slid open as she contemplated Tim's words. The silence grew until Tim spoke softly, "Claire, you there?"

She cleared her throat and nodded, "Yea, do you know how long ago it was that he woke up?"

Tim spoke softly, "Doctors said a few hours ago."

Claire nodded, "Okay, I'll go see him. If Boyd shows up, I'll work my way in."

Tim sighed, "Please be careful."

Claire ran a hand over her face and nodded, "Always am."

When she had dressed and gathered her things, she made the quick ride over to the hospital, shivering despite her heavy winter coat and gloves.

She made her way to her brother's room and found a different police officer there who after seeing her Id let her into the room. She stopped short when she saw her brother sitting up and talking quietly with a doctor.

Claire jumped when a hand came to rest on the small of her back, but when she turned she saw it was Tim and gave him a shaky smile. He applied light pressure to her back and smiled softly back, pushing her forwards, "Go" he whispered.

She nodded and walked over to Danny's bed, sitting down beside him. He had already fallen asleep, so she turned her attention to the doctor. Reaching out to shake his hand she gave him a light smile, "Dr. Claire Bennett".

He smiled back, "Dr. James Rupert. You must be the sister I've heard so much about."

Claire nodded and ran an assessing gaze over Danny, "How is he?"

Dr. Rupert sighed, "Tired. His wounds are healing well, and his broken arm is set nicely. His head trauma was the issue that was giving us the most trouble. His brain activity was wavering, and he had some trouble speaking when he first woke up a few hours ago. But I think he's going to continue to improve. He's already showing signs of improvement."

Claire nodded and turned to stare at Danny, her throat constricting at the sight of him, bruised and battered. "Thank you. Can I be alone with him please?"

Dr. Rupert nodded and stood, "Of course." He spared a glance at Tim who simply stood behind Claire and didn't leave. A moment later the door shut and Claire's shoulders slumped, and Tim heard her make a choked noise that sounded like crying.

As she ran her fingers lightly through Danny's hair, careful not to disturb his sleep, Claire stared at the bruises on his face that were fading to an ugly yellow-green. He may have been her older brother technically, but in so many ways, she had taken care of him like a little brother.

She wiped the tears off her face and turned to Tim, "It's so good he woke up. But it kills me to see him like this."

He nodded, not knowing what to say or do, he wasn't good at emotions. He hesitated for a moment and then moved closer to wrap a hand around her elbow, pulling Claire gently to her feet, and to her surprise, into a gentle hug.

It was the sweetness of the move and the emotion of the morning that made her begin to cry again; standing in Tim's arms. He held on to her and gently ran a hand over her back until she quieted.

Claire pulled away and sniffed, wiping her face off, "Christ I must look a mess." Tim shook his head and then stared at the door for a split second before turning back to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close leaning in and whispering, "One of Boyd's men is at the door, I told the officer to let them in if they showed. So we'll have company in a moment. We're going to use your "sleeping with the Marshal" ruse, so go with it when that door opens, go it?"

Claire barely had time to whisper, "Got it" when the door opened and Tim's hand wound around her neck, tilting her head back and before she knew it, they were kissing.

Unconsciously, her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers wound through his hair, tugging him closer. She pulled away to brush a lighter kiss against his lip before grabbing his lower lip in her teeth and nipping it, then sucking it for a moment, and then his mouth recaptured hers, their kiss deepening, until a man cleared his throat and in a drawling voice said, "Well damn, if that's how you greet every man who tells you that your brother is awake, I guess I should have gotten here earlier."

Claire stared at Tim for a moment and then patted him lightly on the chest before turning to face Boyd. "Well Mr. Crowder, if you give it time, you just might get the same treatment if he wakes up again."

Tim walked past Boyd and the two stared each other down, until Tim turned his gaze to Claire, "If you need anything, you have my number." He nodded and left, feeling as though he was leaving her to the wolves.

Claire and Boyd stood staring at each other, one smiling the other not. Boyd grinned wider and then asked, "So Miss Bennett, I have to know, how did you and the Marshal become acquainted?"

Claire smirked, "After I was informed by the hospital of my brother's condition I flew home from Hawaii and met him in a bar. One thing led to another…"she trailed off and let Boyd's imagination do the rest of the work.

Boyd grinned and nodded, "Well, now that you and your brother have been blissfully rejoined, I have to ask, how much do you know about how he came to be in this situation?"

Claire stared him down and spoke evenly, "Oh you mean how you let him participate in your bank robbery high? And then left him behind when he was shot half to death by the police? Mmm yea, I know about that."

Boyd raised a brow and stepped forward, closing the distance between them, "My men make their own decisions when they run a job with me. How that went down is on Danny, ma'am."

Claire narrowed her eyes and shook her head, "Bullshit. You're the type of man who would shoot a man himself before allowing someone on his crew that would fuck up the job. So why did you let Danny out there high?"

Boyd stared at her for a moment and then laughed, "Damn woman, you're good. I admit, I wasn't there. I was held up elsewhere. My crew ran the job and they shouldn't have let Danny be on the job."

Claire nodded, "Damn straight. I'm also going to guess you didn't get what you wanted from the job because he fucked up?"

Boyd laughed and raised his hands in a praising gesture, "Well I'll be! A Bennett with brains! You ma'am are correct."

Claire nodded, "Then here's my proposal. Take me onto your crew. The banks will trust a pretty face more, and your hit will be bigger."

Boyd whistled, "Well ain't you just the ballsiest!" He rocked back on his heels and appeared to consider it. After a moment he nodded, and stuck his hand out, "Miss Bennett, you got yourself a deal."

Claire shook his hand and smiled, "Very good."

Boyd clenched her hand tightly and pulled her close, "Now as for that Marshal, you keep him close, and don't let on what you're up to, you got it?"

Claire nodded, "Of course. I'm no idiot."

Boyd smiled, "I thought not." He released her hand and stepped back, smiling, "Well, let me get yo digits! I'll need to call you so we can meet and discuss our future plans!"

Claire nodded and recited her phone number, watching as he typed it into his phone. With a final grin Boyd waved goodbye and called out, "Seeya Danny-boy! Sleep well!"

When the door had closed, Claire stepped back until she felt Danny's bed behind her knees and sat, her hand aching from where Boyd had gripped it.

"W-why did you do that?" Danny's voice, low and whisper weak, startled her. She whirled around and found him, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Danny!" she whispered, "Oh I can't believe you're awake!" she said, her voice raw with unshed tears.

He glared at her weakly, "Why did you do that?"

Claire sighed and laid a hand on his chest, "Because, you almost died, and if you went back, you would for sure. The Marshals are going to use me as their CI instead of trying to get you to be one."

She heard the door open behind her and stopped speaking, turning to see who it was. When she saw Tim, she smiled and waved him over. "Tim, this is Danny. Danny, this is Deputy Marshal Tim Gutterson."

Danny stared sullenly at Tim refusing to say anything. Tim for his part nodded at Danny and murmured, "Nice to meet you man. Your sister is taking on a hell of burden for you. We'll be putting you under protective surveillance to make sure you don't blow her cover."

Danny opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when Tim raised a brow, his hand moving carelessly to rest on his gun. Danny saw the way Tim had looked at his sister when he came in the room, and he knew better than to object now.

He had fucked up too many times, and now his sister was literally putting her life on the line for him to fix his mistake.

He looked back at Claire and sighed, frowning when his body ached. "I'm sorry Claire…I…I should have been a better big brother. You shouldn't have had to deal with me all these years."

He watched as tears sprang into her eyes and raised a hand to her face, "Claire…" his own voice heavy. Claire nodded, "I know Danny…But you have to keep your mouth shut when Boyd and his men come to talk to you, ok? Promise me."

Danny nodded, "Swear it."

Claire nodded and leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead, "I'll be by tomorrow. When they give the go ahead to let you out, you're coming home to me. I'm at mom and dads."

He nodded and hit the button for pain medication, his eyes sliding closed again. Claire ran her fingers through his hair and he sighed, falling asleep quickly.

"What now?" she asked Tim softly.

"Now you go home and have a drink" he replied quietly. Claire nodded and stood turning to face him, searching his face for a moment.

"I'll see you later" she whispered. Walking out of Danny's room she went out to her bike and into a stream of icy wind and pelting rain that was turning to snow.

Cursing, she jumped on and sped away.

* * *

When she arrived back at her house, she was frozen, and shaking. After shutting the garage door she went inside to build a fire, her hands shaking as she did. When she had gotten the fire going she went to the kitchen for a glass of whiskey.

Knocking it back, she hissed as it burned down to her stomach. Pouring another tumbler full, she sipped it more slowly this time as she climbed the stairs to her room. Pulling her soaked, frozen clothes off, she thought back to the kiss with Tim and drank a large sip.

Fuck if she didn't want him…bad.

Standing in just her bra and underwear, she made a split second decision, and drank the rest of her whiskey. Grabbing her phone, she texted Tim.

_I need you. I've got whiskey. Please come. _

A few minutes later, his reply came through- _On my way. Save me some whiskey. _

She grinned and tossed her phone on her bed. Pulling her yoga pants on she slipped a stretchy sweater on and tugged her hair out of its ponytail so it would be loose and wavy. Peering into her mirror she smiled,_ sexy, but simple_\- she thought.

Heading back downstairs she poured herself another tumbler of whiskey and one for Tim. Settling in before the fire, she closed her eyes and waited for him to get there. Five minutes later she heard a knock at the front door and went to answer it.

Tim stood in the grey afternoon light, the snow falling around him. He had briefly considered not coming over, had known it probably wasn't the smartest or the safest decision, and yet he had found himself replying to Claire's text and driving over.

When she opened the door, and he saw her hair hanging in loose curls, her cheeks flushed from the fire and the whiskey, he was glad he had come.

Claire smiled and stepped aside, "Come in, it's freezing out." Tim nodded and came in, brushing the snow off his coat. He hung it on the hook by the door and kicked his boots off, following Claire into the living room.

She handed him a tumbler of whiskey and raised hers, "Cheers" she said with a smile.

"What are we drinkin to?" he asked softly.

Claire tapped her glass against his and sipped before replying, "Why, the success of our plan. Boyd wants me on his crew, my family bridges are being repaired…it's all sunshine."

Tim stared at her and behind her smile he could see the fear in her eyes and hear the tension in her voice. He nodded, "You'll have to be careful with Boyd. He's going to be watching you real careful."

Claire nodded and turned to face the fireplace, shivering. "I'm aware. That monster can watch all he likes."

Tim finished his whiskey and saw that Claire's glass was empty as well, and walked out to the kitchen, grabbing the bottle off the counter. Pouring her another drink he smiled softly at her before pouring himself another.

Claire studied Tim for a moment and then grabbed his arm, "Sit down, here, on the floor with me." He nodded, and sat across from her in front of the fire, enjoying its warmth.

Claire sighed, "Okay, if we're going to play this little ruse with Boyd, we should know more about each other, so let's do 20 questions."

Tim nodded slowly, "Okay…you go first."

Claire grinned, "Okay. How old are you?"

Tim smiled easily, "29. That wasn't hard. I won't ask your age, because I know it from the files; 29."

Claire nodded, and Tim stared at her thoughtfully for a moment before smiling, "Alright. Why the motorcycle? Why not rent a car?"

Claire smiled, "Well, it was my dads, and it's sentimental. I also have one just like it back on the island. There's nothing like riding with the sea breeze in your face. I'm going to have to get a rental if this shitty weather keeps up."

Tim nodded and waved at her, "Your turn."

Claire nodded, and then grinned, "Who was your first kiss?"

Tim laughed, "Really?" Claire nodded and he shrugged, "Marie Hartwell. We were 15, and it was after a winning football game."

Claire smiled softly, "You were the quarterback?" Tim shook his head, "Running back. I was a speedy bastard."

Claire laughed and sipped her drink. Tim sipped on his and then waved a hand to her, "What about you?"

Claire smiled, "Mine was when I was 16, at prom. My date had dropped me off at the door and he walked away, and just as I was going to go in the house, he came back and kissed me."

Tim nodded, "Sweet"

Claire shrugged, "It was ok."

Tim laughed, "Why just ok?"

Claire sighed and smiled, "Because he ended up being my first…and it was a year later that my parents were killed in a drunk driving accident. He didn't stick around after that, and neither did I. I moved to Hawaii after I got insurance and inheritance and went to college."

Tim shook his head, "I'm sorry. He should have stuck by you."

Claire waved a hand, "No, if he had, I might have ended up staying here and getting pregnant like all my other classmates. It's better this way."

Tim nodded and drained his glass, and saw that Claire's was nearly empty. He reached for the bottle and held it out to her after he had filled his glass. Claire nodded, though her head already felt fuzzy.

She grabbed her phone and turned her radio on again, leaving it on low as they continue to ask questions.

"Wait, you didn't go to prom? Why?!" she demanded.

Tim shrugged and mumbled something.

Claire leaned forward and slapped his leg, "Hey! Speak up soldier! Why didn't you go to prom?"

Tim sighed, "Because I'm not good at dancing."

Claire stared at him and then laughed, "Oh! Well come on, stand up, I'll teach you."

Tim stared at her in disbelief as she stood and held a hand out, waiting for him. He shook his head, remaining seated, "No…I don't think so."

Claire leaned down and grabbed his hand, tugging, "Get up Gutterson. Don't be a pussy."

Tim shook his head and sighed, "I hate you right now."

Claire laughed, "No you don't. Now, let me put a good song on…." She turned and grabbed her phone, turning off the radio to search for a decent song. When she had found the one she was looking for, she turned it on.

Smiling softly, she turned and held out her hand, "Okay, now put your hand in mine, and the other around my waist."

When Tim didn't move, she stepped close and laid her hand on his arm, drawing it around her waist before placing her hand on his shoulder. She grabbed his other hand and then turned her gaze to his face.

The smooth tones of Marian Hill's Lovit sounded in the room as she smiled softly at Tim, "Okay, now we move." Tim swallowed and nodded. As they turned slowly, Tim concentrated on not stepping on her feet, and Claire grinned at his determination to get the movement right.

Finally, Claire squeezed his hand and got his attention. Smiling, she spoke softly, "Pull me closer, and feel how my hips move to the rhythm that should help you get the idea better."

Tim stared at her for a second and then pulled her closer, trying not to tense when her hips brushed his and her chest pressed against his. As a new song began, they moved in a different, smoother way, and this time Tim felt himself relax.

As their bodies touched and swayed, Tim's gaze found itself going frequently to Claire's lips, and neck, and he kept thinking back to their kiss. When the song came to an end, he backed away unsteadily and reached for his drink, taking a long pull.

Claire sipped her drink as well, unable to keep her eyes off of Tim's large, strong looking hands, and thinking about how they had felt on her as they had danced.

Clearing her throat Claire asked softly, "Uh, you hungry? I don't cook well, but I can make something."

Tim nodded, "Sure, what you got?"

Claire walked unsteadily out to the kitchen and opened the freezer, pointing to her collection of frozen meals. Tim laughed, "Ok, you're worse than me."

Claire wrinkled her nose and smiled, "Hey! I'm working long shifts and I never really picked up the skills for cooking. My bad."

Tim shook his head and leaned in to grab a frozen pasta meal, "It's not hard, I'll teach you sometime."

Claire laughed, "Great, I'll teach you how to do surgery sometime."

Tim shrugged as he moved around her kitchen, grabbing a pan and turning on the stove, "I know some triage stuff already. You learn quick in the sandbox."

Claire frowned and sipped on her drink, "Did you see a lot of action?"

Tim shrugged a shoulder but nodded, "More than some. I was an Army Ranger. A sniper."

Claire's eyes widened and she saw his jaw tighten as he poured the food into the pan, covering it with the lid. Tim turned to face her and found her staring at him with a mix of fascination and worry on her face.

Claire asked softly, "You have PTSD don't you?"

Tim stared at her for a long moment and then nodded, "How did you know?"

She shrugged, "I've met enough soldiers on the island to know when they talk about it, to hear it in their voice. It's not anything to be ashamed of. I had a form of it after my parents died. I couldn't have a roommate at college because I would wake up screaming from nightmares about their crash and their dead bodies. It took me two years of therapy and hard work to get over."

Tim stared at her, and then shook his head, he felt bad for her, but it wasn't the same. He jumped a moment later when he felt Claire's hand on his chest, and his gaze flew up to meet hers.

"Hey, I know it's not the same thing. What you saw and what you had to do…that's something people shouldn't be asked to do. And our country hasn't provided ample resources for our veterans to help in recovery. It's ok to suffer, and it's ok to need help. If you need to talk, or scream or drink, I'm here for you."

Tim's heart leapt at the sincerity in her eyes, and his skin burned under her touch. Setting his glass down, he slid his hand around her waist and up under her shirt, his fingertips grazing against her skin.

He kept his eyes locked on hers, watching as they widened and her lips parted in a breathy sigh as he pulled her closer, her hips connecting with his, one of her legs sliding between his. He ran his thumb across the skin on her back and smiled when she leaned in, her hands resting on his chest, gripping his shirt tighter.

He reached out and wound his fingers through Claire's hair, leaning in to place a soft kiss to the hollow of her throat, moving slowly, gently, up to her mouth, until both of their hearts were racing as he kissed her slowly.

Claire felt like all the air in her lungs had been replaced with fire, and it was spreading through her body with each tiny breath she took. Each caress of Tim's hands or brush of his mouth across her neck, jaw or lips set her afire.

When he pulled away and brushed his mouth across her jaw and whispered, "I think dinner is ready", she barely comprehended what he had said. Her eyes fluttered open and she made a confused noise, her hands running over his chest, trying to pull him close again.

Tim took a deep breath and sidestepped, moving away from Claire, and spoke softly, "Let's eat." He plated the food and handed it to her, leaving her confused and turned on. When he sat down on the couch by the fire, Claire sat close by, but not touching.

They ate in silence, the tension growing until finally Claire tossed her fork down and asked, "What the hell was that?"

Tim sighed and stared at the fire for a long moment before shrugging, "I don't do relationships well."

Claire stared at him, her anger growing. Grabbing his plate out of his hands, she stood and glared at him, "Fuck you. I never asked you for a relationship. I asked you to come over because I was drinking and I had a rough day and I didn't want to be alone. That didn't necessarily mean I wanted to have sex with you, but Christ Tim, if I do, that's my decision, and it doesn't mean I want to marry you."

She stormed out to the kitchen and tossed the plates in the sink and came back to find Tim pouring himself another drink. "And another thing. Have you considered that a relationship with me wouldn't be so fucking scary? I'm not some dipshit you pick up at the bar who runs at the first sign of trouble Tim."

She walked over and snatched the drink out of his hand and tossed it into the fire. They glared into each other's faces as the flames roared for a moment, and then Tim shook his head. "You're goddamn crazy."

Claire poked a finger into his chest, "Maybe. But I don't run when shit gets hard. So don't do it to me."

Tim sighed and ran a hand over his face, shaking his head, "You're going to kill me."

Claire relented at the tone of his voice; despite its wryness, she could tell he was afraid, so she stepped back and took a breath. "I'm going to go change into my pj's and go to bed. I'd like it if you stay. You don't have to. You can sleep down here on the couch, in one of the other bedrooms or with me. You decide."

Tim watched her walk away, and tried to unclench his fist from his side. He didn't know what he was so scared of. Maybe it was the idea of her seeing him locked in his own head in a flashback. Or waking up screaming. Or crying.

Groaning softly, he ran a hand through his hair and looked out the living room window and saw in the porch light that the snow was still coming down. He didn't want to go back to his lonely apartment. He wanted to be here, with Claire.

He heard her upstairs, moving around, and his resolve broke. He walked slowly up the stairs and knocked on her semi-closed door.

"Come in" Claire called.

Tim pushed the door open and found her already in bed, a book open in her lap. He stood hesitantly in the doorway, and then murmured, "Can I stay? With you?"

Claire nodded and smiled, pulling back the covers and waving for him to join her. He continued to stand in the doorway and she sighed, "What's wrong?"

He waved a hand over himself, "I normally sleep in just my boxers…is that good?"

Claire grinned, "That's good. I promise I won't assault your virtue."

He smirked and shook his head, taking off his button down shirt, jeans and undershirt. When he stood in just his boxers, Claire raised a brow and smiled, "Well, you should probably get in here."

Tim grinned, "Is my virtue still safe?"

She laughed, "For tonight anyway."

When he slid beneath the covers, Claire turned on her side, allowing him to curl behind her, his arm going around her waist automatically. She tucked her head into the crook of his shoulder and continued to read until Tim whispered, "Is it a good book?"

She grinned and dropped a kiss on his bicep, "Shh…yes" He made a noise and closed his eyes, breathing in her scent, enjoying the feeling of her curled into him.

When Claire had finished her chapter she shut the book and set it aside and turned the light off before curling into Tim's embrace. She lay there for a few minutes in silence and then asked, "Have you done this before?"

Tim ran a hand over her hip, "This? As in cuddling?" Claire made a noise of agreement and Tim shrugged a shoulder, "A few times before with an ex. Not really since then."

Claire waited a moment and then asked, "Was that before the war?"

Tim sighed, "Yea."

Claire nodded and pressed a kiss to his throat, "Okay. If you feel like you don't want to, just stop and I won't be offended. If you need space, just let me know. We have a story to maintain with Boyd too, so it won't hurt that."

Tim sat in silence for a long time. He was surprised by how much he didn't like the idea of space, or time away from Claire, or how little the cuddling was bothering him.

"Okay, thanks" he murmured softly. As they lay in silence, he could feel Claire's heartbeats against his chest and her slow even breaths against his skin. As his own eyes slid shut, and his breathing evened out towards sleep, he realized he felt more relaxed than any night in recent memory.


	6. Bad Plans

_**AN: Hey all, sorry it's been a bit! I've been working on this and Winter's Legacy, so i'm doing a lot of writing! I have another chapter coming right away for this, so stand by! Please review, I hope you like it! xoxo **_

* * *

Tim awoke the next morning, stretching across the bed, reaching for Claire. Frowning when he encountered an empty, cold bed, Tim sat up looking around, confused. He spied a note on the bedside table and leaned over to snatch it up.

_Tim, I'm sorry I left without saying anything. I'm going to see Danny at the hospital and then I'm going to meet Boyd. I'll be careful, I swear. I'll text you later. _

_Claire_

_P.S. There are frozen waffles if you want some breakfast._

Tim snorted softly and collapsed back onto the bed, holding the note against his chest. She was going to get herself into a world of trouble if she wasn't careful. Running a hand over his face he sighed and rolled out of bed.

He looked around the room in the light of day and smiled softly. The walls were painted an emerald green, and the light oak floors reflected the morning sun. Her furniture was light and delicate, with painted patterns of ivy and flowers on them.

Tim picked up the picture of Claire and her family and stared at her. She was probably 17, and had a big smile on her face. Her brother was smiling as well, less brightly, but his arm around her shoulder was tight, and there was affection in his face. Her parents were grinning as though someone had said something funny, and overall, they appeared happy, content.

He wondered if this was the last photo of Claire's family. She had said that her parents had died shortly before she went to Hawaii, and this photo seemed to be around that time. She looked so young, so innocent, untroubled.

He stood staring at the photo, lost in thought until the sound of his phone ringing broke him out of his reverie. Frowning when he saw Raylan's name he answered quickly, "Hey Raylan, what's up?"

"Where you at Tim?" Raylan asked.

Tim looked out Claire's bedroom window and sighed, "Why you asking Raylan?"

Raylan laughed, "Because I came by the apartment to check on you and go over some details I got about Boyd, and I didn't see your SUV here."

Tim sighed, "I'm at Claire's. I'll be back in ten."

Raylan chuckled, "Oh? Well then, I'll see you soon."

Tim hung up and swore softly, he was never going to hear the end of this. Quickly pulling his clothes on, he ran down the stairs lightly and grabbed his boots, pulling them on before shrugging his winter jacket on.

Opening the door he came face to face with four inches of snow and a blowing wind that cut straight through him. "Shit!" he muttered, running to his car. He hated the cold; the only good thing about the sandbox had been the constant heat.

He arrived back at the apartment ten minutes later to face a grinning Raylan. "Coffee?" Raylan offered, handing him a cup. Tim nodded and walked into the building, expecting that Raylan would follow.

When he opened the door to the apartment, Raylan whistled, "Sure is nice in here. You do some redecorating Timmy?"

Tim flipped him off and sat down on the couch, "Claire helped me clean. Bought me new sheets too. She said it was payment for helping keep her alive."

Raylan's eyebrows shot up and he ducked his head into the bedroom, whistling again when he saw the bed. "Damn Tim, you got a nicer place than I do. You better be careful, I might start staying here."

Tim shook his head, "I'll shoot you if you try."

Raylan laughed softly, "Alright. Well, seems like Claire has taken a shine to you. What were you doin at her place so early this morning?"

Tim hesitated and then shrugged, "I stayed the night. She asked me to come over. Danny woke up yesterday and they mended some bridges. It was tough on them both. Then Boyd showed, and she got in good. So she was kinda shook up. Plus we're working the angle of her sleeping with me to keep Boyd appeased."

Raylan stared at Tim, astounded. This was such a monumentally bad idea, it was amazing. Normally he was the one fucking things up. Tim was the levelheaded one. Sighing, Raylan shook his head, "Art isn't going to be happy with that."

Tim sighed, "Raylan, it's the best we have. She's putting her life on the line, and besides, you were sleeping with Eva for a long time before you had to break it off. We'll make it work."

Raylan shook his head, "You sleeping with her then?"

Tim shook his head, "No. That's a complication I'm not sure either of us are ready for."

Raylan stared his friend down, "Then keep it professional as much as possible. Don't make this harder on either of you. Take it from someone who knows."

Tim nodded. "What information do you have about Boyd?" he asked softly.

Raylan frowned, "It's not so much Boyd, as what he might be going after. There's a large shipment of seized cash and drugs being taken from the local police departments to the federal lockup. It's more secure and they offer better protection than the police lockups. We think that Boyd will want the cash and drugs to supplement his reserves. He's been having issues with both the Mexicans and the Canadians."

Tim nodded, "It makes sense. I'll let Claire know."

Raylan nodded, "Make sure she uses the information wisely. She can't let on that she knows if Boyd already does. She needs to be smart."

"She is smart Raylan. She's not going to fuck this up. She's strong." Tim said his voice strong with emotion. Raylan raised a brow at the normally reserved man. He nodded, "Alright Tim, I hear you."

* * *

Claire ran through the snow, the wind slicing through her cold weather gear. When she had looked out the window and seen the snow, she had cursed silently, knowing it was impossible to ride her bike safely.

She had placed a call to a car rental company and had asked to have them send a car to the hospital, explaining the situation. When she had stuffed a change of clothes into her backpack and turned to leave, she had been stopped by the sight of Tim, sleeping in her bed.

The sheets were pulled low around his waist, and his chest rose and fell softly. Claire's eyes were drawn inextricably to the tattoo on his chest, where her fingers had traced over while he slept. She wanted to kiss him awake…sighing softly she turned away and headed out of the house.

As she approached the hospital, Claire groaned in pain, her whole body was freezing and her right knee was aching painfully. When she limped into the hospital the nurses stared at her in concern. She waved at them and gasped out, "Claire Bennett. Here to see Danny Bennett."

They nodded and stared at her retreating form, dripping icy water and sweat as she limped down the hall. When she collapsed into the seat by her brother's bed, Claire groaned softly, extending her leg as she massaged her knee.

"Jesus Claire, you look like shit" Danny murmured.

Claire tried to speak and broke out into a coughing fit. Danny stared at her in concern and hit the button for a nurse. A few moments later as Claire was catching her breath, a short Hispanic woman bustled into the room.

"Mr. Bennett, what's wrong?" she asked, reaching for his arm to take his pulse.

Danny waved her off, pointing to Claire, "It's my sister. She ran here in the snow and cold. She's limping and coughing. Can you make sure she's ok?"

The nurse frowned and turned on Claire who had begun coughing again, "Hmm, that doesn't sound good. Let me get you water. You sit still."

Claire nodded and took deep breaths, trying to ease her lungs into regular breathing patterns. A few moments later the nurse returned with a large wool blanket and motioned for Claire to stand, "Here, wrap that around you."

Pushing her down into the seat, she smiled at Claire softly, "I'm Rosa. Now let's listen to your lungs, hmm?" Claire nodded and whispered, "It's probably just from the cold. I've lived in Hawaii for so many years that my body isn't used to the cold anymore."

Rosa nodded and listened to her breathing, and then stepped back, "Sounds like you're right. Take it easy, and drink some tea. I'll get you an inhaler just to be safe. Have you eaten?"

Claire shook her head and Rosa frowned, "Okay, breakfast too. Let's look at that knee then." Claire propped her foot up on Danny's bed and flinched when Rose pressed her fingers into it. Nodding Rosa stepped back, "Okay, well, your tendons aren't very happy. Slight tendonitis. I'll get you a compression sleeve and ice."

Danny shook his head, "I can't believe you ran here. Why not just take a cab?"

Claire snorted, "It's Harlan Danny. What cabs?"

Danny smiled, "There's more to Harlan than there used to be. Give us some credit."

Claire sighed and shook her head, "Sure Danny, whatever you say."

Rosa came back a few moments later with a compression sleeve for her knee, a bag of ice, an inhaler, and a tray of food. "Eat, use the inhaler, and ice that knee for no more than 20 minutes, and keep it elevated as long as possible after."

Claire nodded, "Thank you Rosa, I appreciate all your help." Rosa waved a hand, "You just get better. And make sure this one doesn't get into trouble" she said with a smile, pointing to Danny.

Claire grinned, "I'm trying. Is he getting released soon?"

Rosa's smile faded, "Not yet sweetie. Doctors think he needs another two or three days."

Claire nodded, "Okay, I'll be back to check on him tomorrow."

Rosa nodded, "I'll be here." She waved and left the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

Claire sat with the ice on her knee and stared at Danny, his bruises seemed to be fading, and his neural function seemed to be improving, as the doctor had said it would. "How you feeling Danny?" she asked softly.

He shrugged, "Mostly okay. The painkillers are good. I don't need them for the most part. Except for when I get migraines. I guess that's what happens when a bullet grazes your head."

Claire nodded, "You're incredibly lucky."

Danny shrugged, "It's what I keep hearing."

"I'm going to see Boyd after this" Claire offered, waiting to see what his reaction was.

Danny sighed, "I still can't believe you're doin this Claire. It's not safe. Boyd…he'll know."

Claire frowned, "He'll only know if you tell him Danny. And you're not going to, are you?"

Danny shook his head, "No, of course not, but Claire, he's smart, you gotta be careful."

Claire sighed and took the ice off her knee, standing, "I'm careful Danny. I'm not going to do anything stupid." She grabbed her backpack and went to the small bathroom, changing quickly into regular clothes, spraying extra perfume on.

Spraying dry shampoo into her hair, she brushed her hair out and fluffed it out before nodding; she looked and smelled socially appropriate. She wasn't sure how appropriate she needed to be if she was going to meet Boyd, but habit dictated she try.

Grabbing her backpack she went out to press a kiss to Danny's cheek, "I'll see you later bud. Gotta go make a deal with the devil."

Danny grabbed her hand, "Hey, please be careful." His gaze bore into hers, pleading.

Claire squeezed his hand, "Always big bro. Get some rest." She grabbed the breakfast sandwich off the tray and tossed the fruit cup into her backpack along with the inhaler before heading out to the front reception where the rental company had left the keys to the car, along with the paperwork.

She quickly filled it out and tucked it into the backpack. She had a day to return the paperwork before they charged her card $100 fine. After she went to see Boyd, they were her first stop.

She walked out to the parking lot and set the car alarm off, walking down the rows of cars until she found the midsized Toyota. Taking off, she drove to the bar that Boyd had texted her the address of.

Twenty minutes later she parked and walked inside, the darkness of the interior seeming pitch black after the brightness of the snow. "We're closed lady" a voice called.

Claire turned, trying to find the owner of the voice. When her vision cleared, she found a man behind the bar, cleaning glasses, staring at her. She smiled prettily, "Oh I'm so sorry, I'm lookin for Boyd Crowder. Is this not his bar?"

The man paused, and then continued cleaning. "Never heard of him. Like I said, we're closed."

Claire sighed, "Huh, that's odd. He gave me this address…let me just call him, maybe I do have the wrong place!" She pulled out her phone and dialed the number that had texted her, smiling when Boyd answered, "Miss Bennett! Why I am so glad to hear from you!"

"Boyd! I am at your bar, I believe. There is a gentleman at the bar who is saying he doesn't know anyone by your name…perhaps you can help me out?" Claire said with a smile at the man.

A laugh rang out, both on the phone, and from the back room. "Surely Miss Bennett" Boyd said. A moment later he appeared from around the corner and smiled at the man behind the bar, "Charlie, this is Miss Bennett, we like her. Okay?"

Charlie nodded and continued cleaning glasses. Claire hung up her phone and tucked it into her pocket, stepping forward, "Boyd, it's good to see you."

"You as well Miss Bennett. Please come to the back with me. There are a few people I'd like for you to meet."

Claire nodded and followed him to the back room. "Is that a limp I detect in your step Miss Bennett? I do hope our dear Marshals haven't harmed you." Boyd drawled.

Claire laughed, "Not at all. This is a problem of my own creation, I'm afraid. I ran to the hospital this morning to check on Danny and the cold didn't agree with my knee."

"Aha. Well that is good to hear. Please have a seat so you are more comfortable" Boyd held a hand out towards the couch, where a pretty blond woman was seated. Claire hesitated and then nodded, smiling.

The woman gave her a tight smile and shifted over, "Nice to meet you, I'm Eva Crowder."

Claire smiled and nodded, "I remember you from high school, but it's good to see you again."

Eva stared at her for a moment and then nodded, "I forget you were behind us a few years. I'm real sorry about your mom and dad."

Claire shrugged, "Thank you, it was a long time ago."

Eva smiled sadly, "My daddy died a long time ago, but it still hurts. I understand."

Claire smiled at her, despite the odd situation, she found Eva to be reassuring. "Thank you" she said again, more sincerely this time.

Boyd cleared his throat, "I hate to interrupt, but we have business to discuss." Eva nodded, "Of course baby."

Boyd nodded, "Good. Now, our last job didn't go well, thanks to your brother. But, we have another opportunity, one that I think you will be perfectly suited for."

Claire nodded, "Great, what are hitting?"

Boyd grinned, "A transfer of cash and drugs by the state police to federal custody. They don't trust their own lockups to keep it safe, so they want the feds to hold on to it. Total value is over $250 million."

Claire's eyes widened and she swallowed hard. "That's a huge hit. What's the plan?"

Boyd smiled, "Easy, you use the Marshals for information. That little one, he seems to like you. You get transfer details and relay them to us. We hit them and get out clean."

Claire stared at Boyd, her heart racing. That was the worst possible plan he could have come up with. She hesitated and then asked, "How is that supposed to work? They've seen us talking. They know my brother was working with you. They're probably following me. They're definitely keeping tabs on my house."

Boyd nodded, "I know. You need to get that Marshal to be your boyfriend, lover, whatever. Milk him for information. We'll give you a burner phone that you'll hide, and you'll text us information. No face to face contact. Easy."

Claire's head was spinning; this was such a bad idea. Yet, she found herself nodding. "Okay…but, you have to leave Danny out of this."

Boyd nodded, "He's stuck in a hospital bed, I don't have use for him."

Claire smiled, "Good. Then I think this should be easy. I'm seeing the Marshal tonight."

Boyd grinned, "I appreciate the work ethic." He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a phone, tossing it to her. "This is yours now. It has Eva's and my numbers in it. You let us know as soon as you have information."

Claire nodded and stood, wincing as her knee ached. Boyd pointed to her knee, "Aint you a doctor?"

Claire nodded, and Boyd shook his head, "You oughtta know better! Get yourself home and have a drink woman. We'll let you know if anything changes."

Claire nodded and waved goodbye, not trusting herself to say anything else. She walked slowly out to her car and sat for a moment, steadying herself before putting it in drive and heading home.

She locked the front door behind her and sank down onto the couch, staring at the empty fireplace. She was in so much trouble, and she had no idea what to do. Drinking seemed like a really good idea at the moment. Calling Tim or Raylan was probably also a good idea.

Pulling her phone out, she sent a text to Tim; _Just got back from Boyd's. I have info. Taking a shower. Come over in 30. _

She stood and hissed when her knee ached. Limping into the kitchen she grabbed the whiskey off the counter and opened it, taking a long pull. As she made her way slowly up the stairs, she cursed her knee, the snow, Boyd, and men in general.

By the time she had made it to the bathroom her knee felt like it was on fire. Turning the shower on, she sank down onto the toilet and groaned in pain. She slowly stripped her clothes off and eased into the shower. Twenty minutes later, she emerged, clean and her knee slightly soothed by the warm water and the sips of whisky she had snuck, leaning out of the shower.

Pulling on lace pajama shorts and a sweater, she sank down onto her bed, propping her knee up on pillows. She lay back, closing her eyes, and a few minutes later, she heard her phone buzz. Grabbing it, she read the text from Tim; _Here. _

Sighing, she eased off the bed and hobbled down the stairs, throwing the front door open. Tim stepped inside and nodded. They stared at each other for a moment and then Claire turned and began to walk slowly back upstairs, "Come on" she called softly.

Tim stared after her, noting the limp in her step. He wondered how it had happened. It crossed his mind that Boyd had hurt her, and his fists clenched involuntarily. He kicked off his boots and hung his jacket before following her upstairs.

Her pace was so slowed he caught up to her quickly. His hand went to her elbow and he asked, "What happened?"

Claire shrugged, "I ran to the hospital this morning, you don't ride a bike in that kind of weather. It jacked up my knee. Stupid."

Tim sighed and nodded. They walked into her room and she eased down onto the bed, propping her knee up on pillows. Tim stood awkwardly by the bed, hands on his hips, waiting for her to speak about her meeting with Boyd.

Claire smiled up at him, "You can sit down you know."

Tim shook his head, "I'm good."

In truth, he wanted to sit beside her, but he could see from here she didn't have a bra on, and it had been hard enough sleeping next to her last night, he didn't think he could be that close to her again.

Claire shrugged and grabbed the bottle of whiskey, taking a swig. Gasping at the burn she leaned back and sighed, "Christ that's better than painkillers. Except morphine…that's good shit."

Tim sighed, "What did Boyd have to say?"

Claire ran a hand over her face and started to laugh, "Oh god…he…he plans on hitting a transfer of drugs and cash from state lockup to federal lockup. Huge value. To get the information on it, he wants me to sleep with you, to make you my boyfriend, or lover, whatever is necessary. They gave me a phone."

Tim stared at her, his unease growing. "What did you say?" he asked softly.

"What the fuck do you think I said?!" she shouted. "I said yes! Of course I'll help! Christ. I'm not going to say no!"

Tim nodded and paced, "I know, sorry. But how do they expect you to get away with this?"

Claire shook her head, "They expect that I'll do it because they'll kill Danny otherwise. They didn't say it, but I know they'll do it. They aren't going to have face to face meetings with me, so I just have to use the burner phone. You have to give me just the right amount of information to let them hit the transfer. Then you guys can take them down, right?"

Tim nodded, "Yea, that'll work perfectly for the RICO case."

Claire nodded and sighed, "Great, everybody gets what they want."

Tim stared at her, he could see the tension on her face, and he knew she was afraid, but he couldn't take that step to comfort her. Despite the ruse they had going for Boyd, it couldn't cross that line.

Claire looked at Tim and saw a conflict raging in him. She sighed and waved a hand, "We're good Marshal. Get out of here. Go home."

Tim heard something in her tone that told him it would be a mistake to leave, and he hesitated.

"Go Tim, I'm fine."

He nodded and walked out, locking the front door behind him when he pulled his boots and coat on. Claire sank back against the bed and gripped the whiskey bottle tighter. "Fuck" she whispered.

She sipped it slowly, chasing oblivion.


	7. Right or Left

_**AN: Sooo...this happened lol I hope you like it, and enjoy the next chapters to come. Please review! **_

* * *

Tim slept fitfully, thrashing and groaning, dreaming of the war, his dreams painted red with the men he had killed. He awoke with a gasp, and sat up, glancing around wildly. There was no one else there, there never was. He looked at the clock, it was only 12:30am, he had gone to bed early after a few beers.

He now felt wide awake, and cursed softly. He got up and stared out the window, he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep for hours. Picking up his phone, he sighed when he saw there were no messages from Claire or anyone else.

Heading out to the kitchen he stared into the fridge and shut the door again when he realized he had no more beer. Walking back to his bedroom he dressed and grabbed his wallet and keys, locking the apartment behind him.

He drove the closest bar and found it lively, blasting music and full of people. He sat down in the corner and ordered a double, nursing it as he watched the crowd.

An hour and a half had passed and he finally felt the tension ease from his body. Waving to the bartender he waited for her to bring his check. Movement at the door caught his eye, and that of other men.

Turning, he felt his mouth drop open at the sight of Claire, her lithe body encased in an emerald green dress that hugged every curve of her body, held up by tiny straps. Her hair was piled up in a messy bun, with pieces falling down around her face, creating an alluring picture.

Immediately, two men went up to her and began to speak to her. Tim felt a flare of jealousy and annoyance. The bartender tapped him on the arm and handed him the check. He scribbled his name at the bottom and shoved it back, but remained seated, staring across the bar to where Claire was smiling politely at the men, and making her way to the bar.

She ordered and a moment later a martini was in front of her. She drank sedately and as men continued to approach her, buying her martinis she smiled and laughed, drinking. Tim felt his rage and jealousy growing and fought to keep himself in the chair.

* * *

Claire had felt Tim's eyes on her when she had entered. She had seen his SUV, had known his plates, and had ignored him from the moment she had come in. Now, as a man asked her to dance, she nodded and followed him onto the small dance floor.

The band was playing some country song, and she moved with the man, painting a smile on, even though his hand was too low on her hip, and he was holding her too close. She wiggled backwards in his grip and smiled, hoping he would take the hint. When he pulled her close again, she sighed.

As the song ended, she stepped away, only to have him grip her hand, "Hey darlin, where you goin?" he asked drunkenly. She smiled politely, "I'm positively parched! How about another drink?"

He nodded and smiled, "Of course, anything for that smile!"

Claire smiled brightly, "Great, will you excuse me for just a moment, I need the ladies room." She grabbed her purse off the bar and looked over at Tim, holding his gaze for just a moment and then walked calmly back to the bathrooms, straight past them and out the back door.

Shivering in the cold air, she walked over to Tim's vehicle and found him waiting for her. He grabbed her arm and pushed her against the vehicle, "What the hell was that?!" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Claire grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, whispering, "Fuck you. That's what that was."

Tim stared at her confused, his brain and his desire battling. Growling with frustration, he leaned in and captured her lips with his, kissing her with ferocity spun from his frustration and need. His hips pressed against hers, pushing her back against the car, revealing his desire for her, and when she gripped his shirt harder and thrust her hips back against his, Tim groaned.

They broke apart and stood breathing heavily for a moment before Tim realized they were in a bar parking lot and she was in nothing more than a slip of a dress and heels. He whispered, "Get in" and opened the door for her.

Claire climbed into the SUV, her knees shaking. When Tim got in and pulled away from the bar, she asked softly, "Where are we going?"

He shook his head, "You need to decide."

Claire knew what he was saying and she swallowed hard. She stared down the road to the intersection, right to his place, left to hers. They came to the light and she stared over at him, finding him staring at her. The raw desire there sent a shiver over her skin.

"Right…go right" she whispered. He nodded and turned right, driving quickly to his apartment. When they pulled up he came around and opened her door, offering her his hand. She took it and to her surprise, he held her hand tightly as they walked upstairs.

When the apartment door closed behind them, he pulled her against him, his other hand going around her waist. Tim ran his hands lightly over her back and around her waist, coming to rest on her hips, relishing the feel of her body.

He had fantasized of touching her, and it was better than he had imagined. Running his fingertips up her arm, he watched as goose bumps appeared on her skin; he made his way slowly to her shoulder, then her collarbones, then ever so gently to the swell of her breasts.

Claire shivered at Tim's touches, her body aching to be touched everywhere. She reached out and began to unbutton his shirt whispering softly, "I want to see you."

"My virtue isn't safe anymore?" Tim quipped softly.

Claire stared him down, "Is that a bad thing?"

He shook his head, his heart racing as her fingers brushed across his skin with each open button. When she pulled his shirt from his pants, her fingers brushing across his abdomen, his breath sucked in between his teeth.

Claire pushed his shirt off and sighed with pleasure. Leaning in she pressed a kiss to his chest, right on the tattoo, right where she had been wanting to. Scraping her teeth over his tattoo and down over his nipple, she ran her tongue across it, smiling when she heard Tim's small hiss of pleasure.

She repeated the same action on the other pectoral, her hand trailing over his abdomen, feeling his muscles ripple under her hand. Her mouth travelled lower over his abdomen and down to the clasp of his pants.

Coming back upright, she stared him in the eye as she undid them, reaching in to cup him through his boxer-briefs. Tim swore and shuddered, thrusting into her hand. Claire stroked him softly, whispering, "I can't wait to have you inside me, I've been thinking about you like that almost since we first met."

Tim groaned and clenched his fists, it was almost too much. Claire bit her lip, she was getting wetter and she wanted to stop, but she wanted to push Tim just a little further. "That day we were cleaning? I fantasized you would fuck me on the kitchen floor. You thought about it too didn't you?" she whispered.

When Tim didn't say anything, she gripped him tighter and stroked harder. Tim groaned and nodded, "Y-yes! I did, I walked in and saw you cleaning, and I wanted to fuck you right there."

Claire pulled her hand away and whispered; "Now you can."

Tim stared at her for a moment and then grabbed her, pushing her dress up, lifting her to wrap her legs around his waist, kissing her as he walked towards the kitchen. Setting her down on the counter, he shoved her dress up farther and pulled her underwear off, tossing them aside.

Claire pulled him close and kissed him, shoving his pants and underwear down, breaking away to murmur, "Condom?" Tim nodded and pulled one out of his wallet, pulling it onto his cock quickly.

He grabbed her hip and pulled her to the edge of the counter, just inches from her entrance. "Claire…" he started. "Shut up" she whispered, angling her hips forward to try and draw him in. They both gasped and Tim thrust, entering her with one movement.

Tim thrust deeper, drawing gasps from Claire, her fingers digging into his shoulders. She arched her back and thrust back against him, moaning his name. Tim thrust into her harder and took pleasure when Claire gasped and writhed, scratching his chest.

He stilled and pulled out, drawing a moan from Claire. He pulled her from the counter and pointed to the floor, "There" he whispered, breathing heavily.

Claire immediately knew what he was thinking of, and nodded. She kissed him and pushed at his pants, "OFF" she whispered urgently. He pushed his pants all the way off and stood completely naked before her, sending a pulse of desire so strong through her that she felt weak in the knees.

Claire reached for her zipper and pulled it down, shrugging out of her dress, and kicked it into the corner of the room. Tim stared at her, and felt himself grow, impossibly, harder.

He moved forward at the same moment she did and then they were kissing, sloppy, fierce and passionate. As they sank to the ground, Tim's hand found its way between her legs to stroke her clit, eliciting a moan from Claire.

He continued to stroke her, watching as she writhed and moaned, her breathy pants driving him to continue. Claire thought she had experienced all the pleasure she could until Tim kissed his way down her body and began using his tongue on her, sending fire bolts through her system.

Her breathy moans became louder and her hands wound through his hair, securing Tim. Claire could feel the orgasm building, and she writhed, aching with need, until finally it crashed down on her, leaving her gasping and moaning Tim's name.

He pulled away from her and kissed her thigh, then whispered, "Turn over." Claire felt like she couldn't move. Shaking her head, she lay still. Tim grinned and grabbed her hips, lifting and turning her until she was face down and on her knees.

He knelt behind her and spread her knees slightly, whispering, "Is this what you fantasized?"

Claire nodded and pushed back against him slightly, despite her tiredness, she wanted more. Tim rubbed the head of his cock against her entrance, "Me too" and plunged in.

Claire gasped in pleasure and rocked forward. Tim gripped her hips and pulled almost all the way out before thrusting back in, and then again, and again. With each thrust he hit against that sensitive spot in Claire, eliciting small moans, and thrusts from Claire.

His pace was steady at first and then faster, his breathing growing heavier as Claire moved back against him, her moans spurring him on. He reached a hand from Claire's hip to her clit and began to stroke her again.

Claire jerked, her body spasming with pleasure, "Fuck! Tim!" she cried out. She could feel how close she was, and as Tim thrust into her harder, she cried out again, "Fuck Tim, I'm close!"

He stroked her clit harder and she whimpered. Tim was close to that edge too, and he placed a kiss to her back, "Come on Claire, come for me." Moments later she did, crying out his name.

Tim followed closely, his thrusts erratic and finally stilling as he came, holding Claire tight against him, his grip leaving marks on her later.

When they collapsed onto the floor, Claire stared up at the ceiling and breathed heavily and then laughed, "We should have done that a few days ago."

Tim laughed, "Mmm, yea maybe."

Claire leaned up on one elbow and stared down at him, raising an eyebrow, "You're not regretting that are you? Because I kinda had plans to do it again tonight."

Tim stared at her and then smirked, "Ambitious aren't you?"

Claire smiled, "It's fun, why not?"

Tim nodded and sat up, his arm curling around her hip, "Well then, why don't you come see the sheets you picked out?"

Claire grinned, "Please."

They walked back to his room, Tim jumping when Claire smacked his ass lightly. She grinned when he glared at her. "Sorry! It's just so tight and smackable!" she said.

Tim shook his head and lay down on the bed running his down her back when she lay next to him. Claire looked at him contemplatively and asked, "Do you do this? The whole, sleep together, and stay the night thing?"

Tim stilled and then shook his head, "No. Women don't usually stay with a guy who can choke them in their sleep."

Claire nodded, "Mmm. Men don't like to stay with a woman who makes more than them and works crazy hours. It's different, but I kinda get what you mean."

Tim shrugged, "They're assholes."

Claire nodded, "The women who didn't stick around didn't try hard enough."

Tim shook his head, "Nah. They just didn't want a relationship with someone who might kill them. I get that."

Claire sighed, "Their loss."

Tim shrugged, "Not really. I'm no real catch."

Claire rolled towards Tim and tried to catch his eye. When he wouldn't look at her she pushed him over and sat on his lap. She stared down into his face and waited for him to look up.

When he did she nodded, "Good, now you listen to me. You are a good man Tim. You saw and did horrible things, and no one has taken care of you, helped you heal. That is a travesty. Your job has continued to use your ability to shut off your emotions, and hasn't made you get therapy that you need. I'm incredibly grateful that it's you that's protecting me, because I know you'll go above and beyond. But I want you to know that I know that you are worth it, you are a good man, and you deserve a good woman."

Tim stared up at her, amazed. The only other person who had said anything remotely similar was Rachel. Which was why he loved her. Not like, romantic love, like a sister.

He couldn't afford to feel that way or any way about Claire. She would be going back to Hawaii after this. He stared up at her beautiful kind face and felt something inside him break. Nodding, he smiled faintly, "Thank you" he murmured.

Claire smiled back and leaned down to kiss him softly, her hair falling down to surround their kiss in a sweet scented frame. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, determined to lose himself in her for as long as possible.

As they came together again, Tim vaguely realized he was substituting Claire for the alcohol he normally needed to fall asleep and chase away his nightmares. As he fell asleep in the early morning hours, for the second day in a row with her in his arms, he had no nightmares, and no regrets.

Not yet anyway.


	8. Old Friends

_**AN: Hey my lovlies! I hope you are enjoying the story! Thank you for your reviews/likes/follows, they mean so much! Stuff is going to be getting very interesting soon, so stick around! xoxo **_

* * *

The next morning Claire woke before Tim, rolled out of his embrace and tiptoed to the kitchen for her phone. She called the hospital and spoke softly, "Good morning, this is Claire Bennett, can you please give me a status on my brother Danny?"

She waited for a few moments and then nodded when the nurse told her he was doing well; they had him up and walking currently. "Thank you, can you let him know I'll be by later?" Claire smiled and hung up.

Gathering her clothes up she turned back into the bedroom and found Tim awake, his arms crossed behind his head, a smirk on his face. "Morning" he drawled.

Claire blushed acutely aware of the fact that she was still naked and nodded, "Morning" she murmured.

Tim stared at her for a moment and then asked casually, "You leavin already?"

Claire shrugged awkwardly, she didn't really have anything to do other than check on Danny, but she didn't know if Tim wanted her around, or if he had to go to work… "I don't want to be in your way, especially if you have to go to work."

Tim shook his head, "My work is protecting you. All I have to do is call in to the office twice a day with reports and make sure you stay alive."

Claire raised a brow, "Huh…So I guess I should give Boyd some information soon then? I mean I am supposed to be workin you for details."

Tim smirked, "True, we don't want him getting suspicious. You have the phone he gave you with you?"

Claire shook her head, "It's at my place. And my rental is still at the bar, by the way."

Tim nodded and leaned forward, "Okay, let's get your car and get you back to your place and we'll get you some information to send to Boyd." When Claire's stomach rumbled loudly he smirked, "And some breakfast."

Claire smiled and nodded, "Yea, ok, sounds good." She went to the bathroom and pulled her clothes on, wincing at her disheveled appearance in the mirror. Dampening her fingers, she tried to tame her hair down but sighed after a moment and left it be.

Coming back out to the bedroom she found Tim dressed in sweatpants and a cold weather running shirt. He smiled and waved a hand to the shirt, "I thought maybe we could go for a run together if your knee was feeling ok."

She grinned and sauntered over, running her hands over his chest and abs, "A run sounds good, though both of my knees are a little sore after last night." When a blush spread across Tim's cheeks Claire smirked and leaned up to kiss him, nipping gently at his lower lip briefly before whispering, "I'm not complaining soldier."

Tim laughed softly and murmured, "Good to know. Come on, let's get back to your place and get that run in." Claire nodded and followed him out to the SUV, shivering in the cold until Tim handed her his heavy coat to wear.

Smiling her thanks, she shrugged it on and enjoyed the warmth and the residual scent of Tim on the short drive to the bar. When they arrived she hopped out and waved to Tim, "See you at my place!"

He nodded and followed her, wondering the whole way how they were going to spend the day. He had no objections to spending it in bed….but the Marshals service would. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and wondered if Raylan was right, if he was getting himself into something he wasn't prepared for.

Parking in Claire's driveway he followed her into the garage and into the house. He watched as she kicked off her heels, and walked upstairs, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be down in five and we can run."

"Okay" he called back, already turning to inspect the house. He wanted to make sure that it was secure and no one had entered it improperly. Taking a quick but thorough look around, he nodded, satisfied that no one but he or Claire had been in the house.

A moment later he heard Claire coming down the stairs and met her by the front door. Her hair was now pulled back into a ponytail and her hazel eyes found his, lighting up with warmth, her lips curving in a bright smile that teased his heart into a faster rhythm.

"Hey soldier, you ready to run?" she asked brightly.

He nodded and smiled softly, following her out the front door and into the freezing mid morning air. They followed the same path that Claire had run just days earlier, and Tim was pleased to see she was a steady runner.

Tim had always hated running in the snow with other people, he had found himself in impromptu races and quickly wound up with injuries. Claire kept to a good pace and would occasionally point out a house of someone she knew from high school, or to something she found beautiful.

When they came to a point on the path that forked she asked, "Right or left?" and Tim quickly went right. Claire grinned, "Poor choice, it's uphill for half a mile!"

Tim groaned, "Damn…okay…anymore surprises?"

Claire laughed weakly, "Not on the run…but I might have other things up my sleeve, you'll just have to see." She shot him a devious look and Tim grinned, a spurt of energy shooting through him.

An hour later they arrived back at Claire's house, tired, sweaty and sore. Claire jumped onto the kitchen counter and waved a hand around, "So kitchen guru, whatcha makin me for breakfast?"

Tim shook his head and smiled, "You need to learn to cook. I dunno how you survive."

Claire smiled, "Pure force of will."

Tim wandered over and ran a hand up her thigh, his fingers toying with the waistband of her pants, the tips touching lightly on her tattoo. "You're a pretty forceful woman, it's pretty admirable."

His bright blue eyes met her hazel ones and held them for a moment before he leaned in unzipped her running top, pushing it off her shoulders and running a finger across her clavicle, sending a shiver over her skin.

When he bent in to press kisses to her throat and collarbone, Claire sighed, winding her fingers through his hair. "Mmm, Tim…Not that I don't like this…a lot…but I could use a shower" she murmured.

"Mmmm" Tim replied, continuing to kiss her, and worked his way up to capture her lips. His hands fixed on her breasts, teasing through her sports bra, eliciting small moans from her as he kissed her.

Claire shifted closer to Tim, an ache growing inside her, and wrapped her legs around his waist. Tim rubbed back against her, his arousal growing, pressing against her core as their kissing grew more fervent.

Claire tugged at Tim's shirt trying to get it off of his head and grinned when it finally came off. Her fingernails scraped down his chest softly and she licked her lips absently, her gaze drawn to Tim's body.

Pushing him back she hopped off the counter and grabbed his hand, "Come on" she murmured, leading him upstairs.

Kicking her door closed, she stripped her bra and the rest of her clothes off, tossing them on the floor. Pointing to Tim she whispered, "You, come on."

Tim stripped and stood until Claire pushed him back to sit on the bed. She stood in front of him and stared down at him her expression unreadable. When she knelt in front of him she leaned in and kissed him, deeper than before.

Her hand trailed down his chest as they kissed, her fingers light as they came to trace over his erection. Tim couldn't help himself; he jumped and gasped, aching for her to continue. Claire broke away from the kiss, her lips barely there, as her fingers continued to trace lightly, so did her lips.

It was the most amazing torture, and as the minutes passed, the finger light touches increased in pressure, and became strokes, the light touches of lips became long kisses, Tim's breathing became heavy and ragged, as though he was running uphill again.

Claire continued for another five minutes until Tim whispered, "S-stop…please…Claire." Claire released him and instead kissed him deeply, feeling the urgency and need there when Tim grabbed her and rolled her onto the bed, pressing himself against her.

He leaned his forehead against hers and whispered, "Condoms…where?"

Claire took a deep breath and pointed to the door, "Bathroom, second drawer." Tim groaned and nodded, moving to get up when Claire stopped him, "I got it."

She came back a moment later with condoms and tossed extra on the floor. Tim grinned, "Feeling confident?"

Claire pushed him back against the mattress and leaned in to kiss him before replying, "Optimistic."

Tim groaned and grabbed her hand as it travelled down his stomach, pinning it above her head. Pushing her over and onto her back, he trailed kisses down her body, nipping at her breasts before continuing to her stomach, and further down to her hip where the tattoo had been teasing him.

He nipped her skin lightly and licked it softly before continuing down to her clit, using his tongue to swirl, tease and suck on her. Claire gasped and moaned her body lighting up with pleasure.

Tim continued to work, his tongue going from her clit to flick inside her, leaving her trembling and moaning his name, slowly building to climax. Tim watched as Claire writhed and moaned his name, getting closer to the edge and when he thought she was nearly there, he stopped and pulled away, quickly sheathing himself in a condom.

Coming back to her he leaned over her and gripped her thigh, pushing in slowly, moaning softly. She was perfection…he had never felt as happy as when he was with Claire. When he began to thrust, he bit his lip, trying not to call her name out and failed. "Claire…oh god…Claire" he whispered.

Claire moaned as Tim thrust, moving back against him, aching for release. She reached out and grabbed his hand at her thigh, then his bicep, stilling him. Pulling herself off, she tugged Tim to the edge of the bed and whispered, "Sit".

When he had she climbed into his lap and guided him slowly back inside her, gasping softly at the blissful sensation. Lifting herself up, she lowered herself back down achingly slow, making them both moan with need.

Claire continued to move slowly until she felt like she was on fire, and then began thrusting faster, Tim's hips rising up to meet hers. Her fingers wound through his hair, tugging, lips meeting in desperate, needy kisses as their bodies connected.

Tim felt like he was back in the sandbox, he was so hot he couldn't breathe, everything was on fire…it burned, but in the best way possible…he never wanted it to end…. "Fuck Claire…Fuck!" he exclaimed.

Claire whimpered and continued to thrust, feeling an orgasm growing. "Touch me Tim…I'm so close" she whispered. Tim nodded and reached down to rub his fingers on her clit, sending bolts of pleasure through Claire.

Her eyes hooded half shut and her head dropped back as she thrust against Tim, her cries of pleasure growing louder. Tim groaned and thrust harder, his own climax approaching. "Harder Tim!" she cried.

Tim gripped her hip and complied, thrusting harder, still rubbing on her clit. Moments later, Claire gasped and moaned, fireworks exploding inside her body and behind her eyes as she came. Tim continued to thrust, and a few moments later groaned as he too followed her over the edge into oblivion.

As they sat on the edge of the bed, their breathing ragged and their hearts beating in a wild tempo, all Tim could think was, _what the hell is she doing to me? She's going to ruin me. _

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to care, or to walk away.

When Claire stood, unsteadily, he laid back against the bed, breathing deeply. "Hey, you want to shower and have breakfast?" Claire asked.

Tim propped himself up on his elbow and nodded, "Sounds good, but I don't have any clean clothes."

Claire smiled, "Some of Danny's old stuff is in the attic if you want."

Tim shook his head, "I'll pass. How about I head home and shower and come back and take you out for breakfast?"

Claire shrugged, "I thought we couldn't go out?"

Tim shook his head, "It might actually help you with Boyd. If he hears that we're out, he'll buy that you're getting information from me. That we're a couple or whatever."

Claire nodded, "Okay, sounds good then."

Tim nodded and stood, dressing partly and grabbed her waist, pulling her in for a quick kiss, "I'll be back in 30 minutes, is that good?"

Claire nodded, smiling, "See you then."

When he had left Claire looked around and shook her head…just like her to get involved with a guy she couldn't actually have. What an idiot.

* * *

Claire and Tim sat in a small diner, talking quietly over pancakes and tea. For a midmorning on a Monday, the diner was surprisingly full. When the waitress came over to clear their plates she gave Claire an odd look and smiled hesitantly.

"Are you Claire Bennett?" the waitress asked.

Claire glanced up and stared at the woman, a spark of recognition going through her. She couldn't quite place her face, but she felt like she knew her…Nodding Claire asked, "Do I know you?"

The waitress smiled, "I'm Lindsey Rivers, we were in high school together." Claire stared at her for a moment, the name sinking in to her memory, and then in a flash, she remembered Lindsey; long blonde hair and bright green eyes, slightly pudgy and unpopular. They had been in band together, and had sat together in lunch all through high school.

Lindsey now had short brown hair and was thinner, with lines around her eyes that belied years of hard life in Harlan. Her smile was kind and warm though, and Claire was happy to see a friendly face after all the hard days.

"I remember now! You look so different Lindsey, how are you?" Claire asked with a smile.

Lindsey propped the tray against her hip and smiled tiredly, "Good! I have a little girl, her name is Jennie. She's four now."

Claire smiled, "That's amazing! Do you have a picture?" Lindsey nodded and pulled her phone out, pulling up pictures of an adorable little girl. Claire made a cooing nose and smiled, "She is the sweetest!"

Claire showed Tim the picture and he smiled softly nodding, "She's beautiful."

Lindsey smiled at him, "Thank you."

Claire handed her phone back and asked, "What are you up to later? Why don't we hang out?"

Lindsey brightened and nodded, "I would love that! I'm off around 5pm, would you like to come over to my place and have dinner?"

Claire nodded, "I would love that."

Lindsey smiled, "Great, I'll see you then."

Claire smiled and waved as she walked away. After they had paid their check Claire waved to Lindsey and followed Tim out to the SUV. Climbing inside she sighed happily and smiled at Tim, who raised a brow and shook his head.

"What?" Claire asked.

"Nothin" Tim replied lightly.

"Hmm" Claire responded, staring at him for a moment before turning her attention out the window. She stared out at the snow and wondered what life must have been like for Lindsey all these years here in Harlan. From the lines on her face and the worn down tone of her voice, Claire could only assume it had been a hard on her as it had been on Danny.

Thinking of Danny made her pull her phone out and call the hospital, "Hello? Yes, this is Claire Bennett, I wanted to get a status update on Danny Bennett?" she waited a moment and then nodded, "Okay, yea, thank you."

Sighing, she ended the call and ran a hand over her face. Tim glanced over as they pulled into the driveway, "Everything ok?"

Claire nodded, "Danny was up and walking earlier, and doing well. They are thinking they'll release him tomorrow morning. I-I…"

Tim stared out the window and sighed, "You don't know how to handle it."

Claire sucked in air and tried to breathe normally, nodding. She felt like crying.

When Tim's hand grasped hers tightly, she looked over to him in surprise and gripped it back hard. "You're going to be fine darlin. Danny may be an asshole, but he loves you, and he's going to make sure that he doesn't do anything to mess this up."

Claire stared at him and then smiled, "You're a good man Tim, thank you." Leaning over she kissed his cheek and pulled away, opening the door, and climbing out.

"You want me to stick around?" Tim asked.

Claire shook her head, "I'm going to spend some time cleaning the house and getting it ready for Danny. I need some time to clear my head. Okay?"

Tim nodded, "If you need me, let me know."

Claire nodded and waved before shutting the car door and walking into the house. Tim watched her and longed to follow, to spend his time with her, to be with her all day. Realizing he was still sitting in her driveway, Tim shook his head and pulled out, driving back to his place, shaking his head.

Sinking down on his couch back at his place, he sipped on a tumbler of whiskey and hissed at the burn. He had to get his shit in order or he was going to be in serious trouble…chuckling softly, he drank deeply from the glass, _who am I kidding? I'm already in serious trouble_\- he thought.


	9. Game Over

_**AN: Hey my lovely readers! It's been a bit since I update huh?! Sorry! It took me a little while to figure out where this was going and I've been working on my other story- Winter's Legacy. So now that I know where this is going, let's get to it! Enjoy and Happy reading! (sort of lol) Thank you all for reading! xoxoxox**_

* * *

Tim's phone buzzed and he rolled over on the bed, reaching for it blindly. His head pounded from too much alcohol, and the mid afternoon sunlight streaming through the blinds pierced his skull like a knife.

"Hello?" he grunted his voice low and raspy.

"Deputy Gutterson! What the hell have you been getting up to?" Art's voice boomed through the phone, making his head pound.

Tim groaned and held the phone away from his ear, "Fuck! Art I was sleeping!" he groaned.

"Sleeping?! In the middle of the day? Boy, what you sleeping for?" Art shouted.

Tim grabbed a pillow and put it over his head, groaning, "Damn it Art, I have a headache."

Art laughed, "Well take some Advil Timmy. We've got a hot situation and we need your sharpshooting skills. We're flying a chopper to you now. It'll be there in twenty minutes."

Tim sat up, "Where am I going?" he asked, paying attention now.

"Louisville" Art answered.

"Got it." Tim hung up and stripped, heading into the shower to clear his head.

Ten minutes later he toweled off and dressed in a long sleeve black Henley and black cargo pants, tying the laces on his combat boots. Tugging his baseball cap low over his eyes, he shrugged his jacket on and slid his sunglasses into place, hearing the chopper circling overhead.

He locked his door behind him and headed up to the roof, grateful that the building had a chopper pad on it. The chopper door opened and he saw his rifle bag on the floor. Hopping in, he buckled himself in and watched as the ground dropped away.

An hour and half later they landed in Louisville, the leader of the team running up to Tim, shouting over the roar of the blades, "Deputy Gutterson, it's good to have you here. Have you been briefed on the situation?"

Tim shook his head, "Tell me."

They ran from the helicopter and over to a base set up, teaming with agents from three different agencies. "As you can see this is a multi-agency deal. We have DEA here for the drug cartel, FBI for the murder and racketeering that they've committed, and you guys are here for two of our undercover agents that they've taken hostage. We need you as cover for when we go in. Can you do that?"

Tim nodded, "I just need to see the layout of the area." He joined the cluster of agents at the staging area and looked over the map of the building that they would be hitting and pointed to a building across the street, "I'll set up here, it has the best sight line."

The entry team nodded and Tim grabbed his gun case, shrugging it onto his shoulder. He ran down the streets until he came to the building that would be his perch. Entering the building he showed his US Marshal's badge to the reception desk and explained the situation quietly.

The security guard escorted him up in the elevator to the roof and stood inside the door, keeping residents away from the roof. Tim unpacked his gun, quickly assembling it and laying down at the edge of the roof, adjusting the sights.

He set up his earbud and spoke softly, "Gutterson here. I'm in place, ready on your go."

A voice came back, "Team is a go, in five."

Tim watched through his scope, and five minutes later the tactical team came rolling down the street and burst through the front door of the abandoned building.

When three of the cartel members burst out the back, firing into the building, Tim carefully picked them off, wounding them, but not killing. He kept his scope trained on the door, waiting for more action, his heartbeat steady.

A moment later another cartel member backed out of the building, holding a gun to a woman's head, followed by two more cartel members, holding up two men, guns to their heads. Tim's earbud crackled, "Gutterson, those are our people, drop those cartel assholes."

"Confirmed"

He trained his gun on the cartel members and took a deep even breath, then began sniping. The cartel members fell, their heads snapping forward, their bodies slumping down.

A few minutes later his earbud lit up, "All clear."

Tim nodded and began packing up his weapon when his earbud crackled again, "Hold on, we have a situation." Tim paused and quickly reassembled his gun, leaning back over the edge of the building.

He watched as a cartel member came out of the building, a girl no more than 12 in his arms, a gun to her head. Tim sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before training his scope on the cartel member.

"What's the plan here" Tim murmured.

"Well how about you take this asshole out? He's using his daughter as a human shield."

Tim sighed, "Right, I should kill her dad in front of her."

"He's a killer."

Tim stared through his scope at the weeping girl, "And she deserves to see that just for that reason?"

"Take the shot!"

Tim pulled away and rested his head against the brick, closing his eyes, he couldn't do this….he couldn't.

"Gutterson! Take the shot!"

Tim straightened and peered through the scope, taking a deep breath. He trained his sights on the cartel member and pulled the trigger, watching as the man dropped, his skull painted red. The little girl screamed and backed away, her screams and wails reaching all the way up to Tim.

He moved slowly, packing up his gun, the guttural sound of the girl's grief tearing into him. He walked down the stairs of the building, and back to the staging area, shaking off the congratulations from the others.

Ignoring the team leader he walked to the helicopter and slid the door shut, "Let's go" he murmured. The pilot glanced at him and nodded; after a few minutes they were roaring off into the fading light of the evening.

An hour and half later Tim climbed out of the helicopter and walked down to his apartment, his entire body numb. He slammed his apartment door shut and threw his gun case down on the table.

He reached for the half empty bottle of whiskey and took a deep gulp, his throat burning. He collapsed down onto the couch, the evening light changing to full darkness.

He stared at the wall, seeing the young girl's face, screaming in horror, flecks of her father's blood painting it red.

Tim grimaced and took another long pull from the whiskey bottle, feeling the buzz already. But he didn't want to feel, he wanted to be numb. He shuddered at the memory of the cartel member's face, surprised, when the bullet hit.

When the bottle was empty Tim stumbled to his feet and weaved to his bedroom, tugging his shirt off, and kicking his boots into the corner before slumping down and passing out.

* * *

Claire looked at her phone the next day, wondering why she hadn't heard from Tim. He knew she was picking up Danny, and that Boyd might be there, she couldn't imagine why he wasn't talking to her.

She parked her car and dialed his number, sighing as it went to voicemail. "Hey Tim, it's Claire, I'm just checking in. I'm picking Danny up and taking him home. Stop by later for dinner. Okay, bye."

She tossed her phone into her purse and locked her car behind her, walking into the hospital. When she arrived at Danny's room she found him standing by his bed, crutches holding him up, and a grin on his face.

Claire frowned and grabbed the waiting wheelchair, rolling it over, "Sit your butt down mister" she scolded.

Danny rolled his eyes but followed her instructions, groaning as his body ached. "You ready to go home?" she asked softly.

Danny nodded, "Guess so. It still look the same?"

Claire shrugged as she wheeled him down the hall, "I cleaned up. I put a bed downstairs in the living room for you, I don't know how good you'll be at the stairs. We can have you shower every few days, and take the stairs slow."

Danny sighed, "Just the thought of stairs makes me tired."

Claire nodded, "You'll be easily worn out for awhile." She put the brake on and stopped at the front desk, filling out the paperwork for Danny's release, smiling and chatting with the nurses.

She waved goodbye and rolled Danny out to her car, beeping it open and opening the door for him. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, she lifted him and pivoted him into the seat, guiding his legs in after him.

Danny grinned at her tiredly, "You're pretty awesome at that."

Claire smiled, "I am a medical professional."

She watched as he buckled himself in and then shut the door, quickly returning the wheelchair to the nurses inside. Running back to the car, she slid inside and started it, backing out and driving slowly to their house.

Danny glanced at her, "Why you drivin like a grandma?"

Claire sighed and shook her head, "Perhaps because I have an injured patient in the car? Do you want me to take these turns hard and have the seatbelt cut into your wounds?"

Danny grimaced and shook his head, "No…never mind, thank you."

Claire nodded and continued at the sedate pace. When they pulled up at the house Danny stared in silence, his face troubled, until Claire came around and helped him out and up the front walk.

Pushing the door open, she guided him into the house and into the living room, seating him on the couch. She had a fire going before she left, and handed Danny the tv remote, "I got a full cable package, so there's everything you could hope for."

He smiled and nodded but set the remote aside, giving her a sleepy look. "Is it ok if I nap?" he asked softly.

Claire nodded and smiled, "Of course bro. Come on." She crouched and gently put his arm around her shoulder, lifting him and guiding him to the bed. Before lowering him she gently tugged his jacket off and tossed it onto the couch.

When he was seated she crouched down and tugged his sneakers off, setting them aside. She tucked his legs up under the covers and smiled as he started to drift. He reached out to capture her hand in his, squeezing it gently, "I love you Claire bear" he whispered.

Claire smiled sadly at the nickname. He hadn't called her that since before their parents died. She squeezed his hand back, "Love you too Danny boy." She stroked the back of his hand gently with her thumb until he fell asleep and gently backed away, walking out to the kitchen to check her phone.

Still no texts or calls from Tim.

She looked at the clock, it was almost noon. Sighing, she grabbed a power bar and an apple and went upstairs to change into running clothes. She tossed her snacks on the bed, she would eat when she got back.

She tiptoed downstairs and left a note for Danny on the small table beside his bed, and put the house phone there as well, leaving her phone number on the note.

Sliding her headphones into place, she blasted her favorite playlist for when she was frustrated and took care; the ground was icy and snowy. Eventually she slowed, walking a familiar street. She stood staring up at Tim's apartment building and quibbled internally on whether she should go in or not.

Finally her annoyance with him won out and she ran up the stairs, pounding on the door.

When there was no answer she pounded harder. "Tim!" she called loudly.

She sighed and tried the door handle, surprised when it gave easily, the door swinging open. She walked in and glanced around, noting Tim's rifle case on the kitchen table, and an empty bottle of whisky on the coffee table.

_That's not good_-she thought to herself. Walking back to his room she peered into the bedroom and frowned when she saw the bed empty. Walking further into the room she saw a foot poking out of the bathroom and when she looked in, she saw Tim, hanging onto the toilet, passed out.

Sighing, she crouched down and took his pulse. It was sluggish and slow, his breath reeked of whiskey and vomit, and his skin was the color of paper, but he was alive. She was half tempted to smack his head against the porcelain, but with the amount of alcohol he had probably drank, he would probably bleed profusely.

_Aint nobody got time for that shit_-she thought, rolling her eyes. Standing up, she stared down at Tim and sighed. Something had happened to make him act this way. She didn't want to leave Danny alone for too long, but she also couldn't leave him in this condition….

"Fuck you" she muttered at Tim's unconscious form. Crouching down she grabbed Tim under the arms and dragged him over to his tub, grunting as she hauled him in. When his head smacked into the side of the tub she paused to see if he would rouse, but nothing, no sign of him waking.

Shaking her head, she stepped out of the tub and tilted his head to the side and turned the water on to freezing cold, and turned the shower on.

Five minutes went by.

Eight.

Ten.

Twelve.

Then Tim sputtered and coughed, the water finally bringing him around. His whole body was shivering. Disoriented, he looked around, his vision blurry and saw a figure by the tub..._Claire? _

Turning his head to get a better look, he swallowed hard as the world swam...and his stomach swelled...he leaned forward and threw up between his legs, the shower washing it down the drain. His stomach and head ached, his whole body pounded with pain. Clutching his head he stayed leaning forward, not sure if he would get sick again.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Claire, his voice barely above a whisper.

Claire stared at his pitiful display and shook her head, "I picked Danny up from the hospital today and kind of expected to hear from you at some point yesterday or today. When I didn't I got worried, and then upset. So I went for a run and came over. And I found you like this. Care to explain?"

Tim shook his head slightly, "You can go now."

Claire stared at him and sighed, "Fine. I'm making dinner later if you want something other than whiskey in your stomach. Try not to die of alcohol poisoning." She leaned over and turned the shower to warm water and backed away, pausing in the doorway, "Drink some water, eat some bananas or oatmeal and peanut butter and go to bed. Don't keep drinking. I'll call you later."

She sighed and walked away, her heart sinking.

Tim stripped his clothes off and showered, still feeling sick. He threw up three more times before he could walk straight, and then stumbled out to the kitchen for a large glass of water as Claire had instructed.

He looked at the bananas on the counter and gagged slightly. He sipped his water and went to the couch, laying down, closing his aching eyes. He had really fucked up with Claire, but maybe that was better. She was leaving after they took Boyd down. It was better if she didn't like him.

Yea...better...He drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Claire looked at the clock, it was 5pm and she had texted Tim twice, asking if he was coming to dinner, with no response. Sighing, she pulled the lasagna she had made out of the oven and set it on the table, shaking her head. Foolish of her to think that he could manage to get his shit together. Foolish to think that anything good could come out of Harlan.

Fool.

Pasting a smile on she went out to help Danny to the table. He was engrossed in a stupid action movie at the moment but had been shouting jokes about her cooking skills all afternoon while she made the lasagna. It had made her laugh and try harder to make the lasagna great, and she had shouted back about his ability to pull off a heist.

"Hey, I was high, you give me a chance, I'm a hell of a criminal!" he had shouted back.

Claire had laughed, "That's not something to be proud of Danny."

"That's just because you're a boring surgeon. You need to get into the action!"

Claire laughed and shook her head, concentrating on making the lasagna.

As she helped him to his seat, she heard the doorbell ring. Danny looked down at her, "Is that him?" he asked with surprise. He had heard her muttering about a "drunk asshole" and "fool" "no respect" so he had assumed she was talking about Tim. Whatever had happened between them was her business, until Tim upset her. Now he needed to have a word with Tim.

Claire nodded, "I think so." She lowered Danny into his seat and ran to the front door, pulling it open to reveal a pale, circles under the eyes, smelling like whiskey Tim. Staring at him she leaned against the door and asked, "Did you keep drinking?"

He shook his head, "Just water. I showered." His voice was gravelly and weak.

Claire could see he was feeling shitty, not just physically, but emotionally. Sighing, she stepped aside, "Get in here."

Tim nodded and stepped inside, hanging his jacket up. Claire waved a hand and led him into the kitchen and pointed to his seat before taking hers. "We're having lasagna, I hope that's ok."

Tim nodded and gave her a weak smile, "Did you make it?"

Claire raised a brow, "I did, is _that _ok?"

Tim swallowed, "Y-yea, I was just kidding. I'm sure it's going to be great."

Danny sniggered, watching Claire light this guy up was great. Claire turned to stare at him and he quickly stopped laughing, staring down at his plate in silence.

Claire sighed and shook her head, "Lord give me patience." She stood and stared at both men, "Hands. Prayer time."

Both men stared at her and then lifted their hands to hers and connected theirs across the table. Claire closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Thank you for my family, and for Tim who has sacrificed so much for his country, and continues to do so. Bless us gathered here at this table with your serenity, courage, wisdom and strength to meet each day. Amen."

"Amen" Danny whispered.

Tim stared at Claire and quickly whispered "Amen". When she sat down he asked, "I thought you weren't that religious."

She shrugged, "I'm not really. But I think there's a higher power, and it's good to remind myself of that, to ask for guidance and help every once in awhile. It's nice to slow down and reach out." She dished out the lasagna to Danny and herself and then offered Tim the knife, letting him choose how much he wanted.

Tim nodded, "I used to believe. After the sandbox...it's hard."

Claire sighed, "It's hard not to for me. I've had trauma patients come in who should be dead. Medically there's no reason they should be alive. When I do surgery, they bleed and stroke, and have heart attacks, and yet they make it. They shouldn't, but they do. Years later they come back with their families, showing me what I've saved. There's some greater force out there."

She looked over at Danny and smiled, "There is. Otherwise, this one would have died a long time ago."

Danny nodded, "Very true." He pointed to the lasagna with his fork, "Happier note, this is fantastic!"

Claire laughed, "I followed a recipe and added a few extra spices, so I'm glad I didn't mess it up!"

Tim nodded, "It's great. I told you it's not hard."

Claire shrugged, "I don't normally have time for stuff like this. But maybe I can start making them ahead of time and freezing them. Whatever, I'm glad you guys like it."

The men nodded and continued to eat, the conversation flowing in spurts as they ate. When they had eaten their fill Claire gathered up the dishes over their protests,"Listen, one of you is a gimp and the other is massively hungover. I'll clean up. Just chill." she said with a grin.

Danny leaned forward when Claire had left the room and stared at Tim, "Hey, I know you're here to protect her, and me sorta. But what the hell is goin on buddy? She was spittin mad when she came home from her run earlier."

Tim stared at Danny, annoyed. "That's none of your business."

Danny grinned, "That's my little sister you're sleepin with, so yea, it's my business. Now what did ya do to piss her off?

Tim frowned, how did Danny know they were sleeping together? "How..."

"How did I know y'all are sleepin together?" Danny asked softly.

Tim nodded.

"Because. I ain't stupid. And she only acts like this about people she _likes_ and is sleepin with. Only one guy before, in high school. So spill, what did ya do?" Danny asked.

Tim sighed and shook his head, "I just acted like a damn fool. It's better this way. She's leaving once we're done with Boyd. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell of this working out. She's too good for me anyway. There's a price for anybody who hangs around me."

Danny stared at Tim and saw the haunted look on his face and shook his head. "I think that's a decision she would want to make."

"Yea, well life isn't fair. People get hurt, they get sick, they die. Game over." Tim turned his head and looked out the window, his jaw set.

Claire stood by the doorway, listening to their discussion, her heart sinking. Whatever had happened with Tim was eating at him something terrible.

She heard a chair scrape back and then Tim spoke, "Tell Claire dinner was great. If she needs me, call me. We'll get information on the transfer to Boyd later this week. Seeya."

She heard his footsteps recede to the front door and then the door opened and closed.

She sank to the ground and rested her head against the wall, crying softly, hating herself for it.

Danny listened as Claire cried in the other room, and wished there was a way for him to make things better for her.

Tim stood in the liquor store checkout with two bottles of whiskey and avoided his own gaze in the glass behind the counter.

Life wasn't fair, people get hurt, game over.


	10. Breathe

_**AN: Okay so this chapter is inspired by the Civil Wars(Artist), namely their songs- Dust to Dust, and Devil's Backbone. I hope you enjoy the chapter, please review, and thank you for reading. xoxox **_

* * *

Three days later Claire still hadn't heard from Tim. She was slowly going crazy in the house, taking care of Danny, cooking, cleaning, and running. She had gotten together with her high school friend Lindsey once, but with a child and a job, she wasn't free very often.

When she had received two calls and three texts from Boyd on her burner phone asking where she was and when they could expect information on the transfer, she finally got frustrated enough to call Tim.

The phone rang, and rang, and rang….and went to voicemail.

Sighing in frustration she left him a message, "Tim, it's Claire, you remember- the woman you're supposed to be protecting? Yea, Boyd is getting anxious for information on the transfer. He's asking to see me because I haven't given him _anything._ He also knows that Danny's out of the hospital and he wants to stop by! So get your shit together."

She hung up and threw her phone onto her bed, wishing she had something else to throw against the wall. She grabbed the burner phone from Boyd and looked at the last text-

**Come to the bar tonight, we need to catch up. **

Sighing she sat down on her bed and picked up her phone, dialing the Marshal's office. After a moment the honeyed voice of Raylan answered, "US Marshal's, Deput Givens here."

"Raylan, its Claire Bennett. How are you?" she asked softly.

Raylan leaned back in his chair and tilted his hat back, raising his brows, wondering why Claire was calling him and not Tim. "Not too shabby Claire. How bout you?"

Claire sighed, "Could be better. You got a minute to talk?"

Raylan ran a hand over his face, "This don't sound good Claire. How much is this goin to make me wanna drink?"

Claire lay back against her pillows, "That's part of the problem…"

Raylan sighed, "He's drinking?"

Claire nodded, "It started again three days ago. Before that he had beers with me and an occasional drink, but it wasn't like this. He won't answer his phone or come to the door."

Raylan waved to Rachel who came over to the phone, he held it out so she could hear Claire without it being on speaker and risking others hearing their conversation. He looked up at Rachel, "That mess Tim went to three days ago, you have the report?"

Rachel nodded, "Give me a second." She went to her desk and printed the report, coming back a moment later. She leaned in and spoke softly into the phone, "Hey Claire, so Tim was taken to a hot situation three days ago in Louisville. He injured three cartel members, killed three more….oh shit…."

Claire sat up, her stomach dropping, "What? What happened?"

Rachel and Raylan exchanged a look before Rachel continued, "One of the cartel members used his daughter as a human shield. Tim didn't want to take the shot; he didn't want the girl to see her father killed. The team leader overrode him and forced him to take the shot….Jesus."

Claire closed her eyes, her hand over her mouth, her fingers shaking. No wonder Tim had spiraled down. Anyone would have, and with his PTSD….

She sighed and spoke softly, "Guys, he needs you. He needs us. Please help him."

Rachel sighed, "Claire, if we tell Art, they'll pull him from protective duty…he might lose his job."

Claire stared at the text from Boyd and sighed, "I'll go try and talk to him, if he isn't better by the end of this weekend, at least marginally, then you need to tell Art. Okay?"

"Okay, be safe Claire." Rachel said softly.

"Raylan, I'm supposed to go see Boyd tonight. Do you have anything I can give him to keep him placated?" she asked.

Raylan nodded and sat forward, "Hold on, I'll email you the three different routes that we're choosing from. You can say you stole em from Tim's computer. I'll make sure they come from his IP address. We'll get our tech guys on it so it looks legit."

Claire sighed, "Great. Thank you both for your help. I'll check in with you over the weekend, let you know how things are going."

Raylan sighed and rubbed his neck, "Please do, Tim ain't just a friend, he's family."

Claire nodded, "I know. I'll talk to y'all soon. Bye."

She sighed and hung up the phone, tossing it aside. Looking out the window, she was pleased to see that the snow had melted. It had warmed in the past few days, and with the warmth came ease of running.

She had also been getting Danny out to take short walks to get his mobility up so that he could heal faster. She hoped that by next week he would be able to move upstairs. His leg seemed to be bothering him less, and his other injuries were healing well.

Pulling her running sneakers on she grabbed her headphones and ran downstairs to find Danny folding laundry while watching tv. Grinning she pointed to the laundry, "You don't have to do that you know."

He smiled and nodded, "Yea I do. I have to earn my keep. I'll start cleaning up more too. You should let me help with groceries too."

Claire shrugged, "That would be nice, thanks Danny. I'm going for a run and when I get back I'll make dinner. I'm going to the bar later to meet Boyd, okay?"

Danny frowned, "Is anyone going with you?"

Claire sighed, knowing he meant Tim. "No, just me. It'll be fine though, I swear."

Danny shook his head, "You shouldn't go alone."

Claire threw her hands up, "Yea well, I have to. You're a gimp and Boyd isn't happy with you, and I can't take a drunk Marshal!"

Danny stared at his sister and saw how tired and stressed she was and relented, feeling bad for making her more upset. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried about you" he said softly, turning his gaze to the laundry.

Claire ran a hand over her face, "I know. I know…I'm sorry too. Listen, I'm going to go run, and I'll be in a better mood when I get back, ok?"

Danny nodded and waved, listening as the front door closed.

Claire ran through the winding paths and up the hills leading to the mountainside, slowly climbing higher. Her breathing was ragged as she ran higher, sweat streaming down her face. The late afternoon sky was overcast and the sky was a steel grey as she reached an overlook point, her legs and chest burning.

Her music shuffled to "Devil's Backbone" by the Civil Wars and she listened to the lyrics as she stared out over the countryside, awestruck by the rugged beauty, yet her emotions in turmoil over Tim.

_Oh Lord, Oh Lord, what have I done?  
I've fallen in love with a man on the run  
Oh Lord, Oh Lord, I'm begging you please  
Don't take that sinner from me  
Oh don't take that sinner from me_

_Oh Lord, Oh Lord, what do I do?  
I've fallen for someone who's nothing like you  
He's raised on the edge of the devil's backbone  
Oh I just wanna take him home  
Oh I just wanna take him home  
Ooooooooooo  
Ooooooooooo_

_Oh Lord, Oh Lord, he's somewhere between  
A hangman's knot, and three mouths to feed  
There wasn't a wrong or a right he could choose  
He did what he had to do  
Oh he did what he had to do  
Ooooooooooo  
Ooooooooooo_

_Give me the burden, give me the blame  
I'll shoulder the load, and I'll swallow the shame  
Give me the burden, give me the blame  
How many, how many Hail Marys is it gonna take?_

_Don't care if he's guilty, don't care if he's not  
He's good and he's bad and he's all that I've got  
Oh Lord, Oh Lord, I'm begging you please  
Don't take that sinner from me  
Oh don't take that sinner from me_

She remembered walking these paths with her family, when they were still alive and tried to be happy. Now that Danny was back, the house was filling with life again…her life was filling with purpose again, not just saving other people, but with saving her family.

She shook her head, feeling a pressure growing in her chest from anger and sadness building up. Pacing back and forth she shook her head as the song ended, filling her with emotions.

When "Dust to Dust" by Civil Wars came on, she let out a half sob, half laugh, shaking her head. Her music must be trying to destroy her.

She sank to the ground and dropped her head between her knees, crying. For her dead parents, for her brother that no one had believed in or supported, for herself; who everyone had pushed to be amazing, and never seen what _she _wanted, and for Tim- used, dishonored, broken, and forgotten when his country no longer needed a hero to put on a pedestal.

_It's not your eyes  
It's not what you say  
It's not your laughter that gives you away  
You're just lonely  
You've been lonely, too long_

_All your actin'  
Your thin disguise  
All your perfectly delivered lies  
They don't fool me  
You've been lonely, too long_

_Let me in the wall, you've built around  
And we can light a match and burn it down  
Let me hold your hand and dance 'round and 'round the flame  
In front of us  
Dust to_

_You've held your head up  
You've fought the fight  
You bear the scars  
You've done your time  
Listen to me  
You've been lonely, too long_

_Let me in the wall, you've built around  
And we can light a match and burn them down  
And let me hold your hand and dance 'round and 'round the flames  
In front of us  
Dust to dust_

_You're like a mirror, reflecting me  
Takes one to know one, so take it from me  
You've been lonely  
You've been lonely, too long  
We've been lonely  
We've been lonely, too long_

When the song ended she turned her music off and took her headphones off, sitting and listening to the silence around her, the gentle noises of nature. Closing her eyes, she sat, waiting.

When nearly twenty minutes had passed, she finally opened her eyes, calmed and with a hint of a smile on her face. Standing, she made her way slowly down the mountain to the house where Danny was waiting anxiously.

"You were gone a really long time, you ok?"

She nodded, "Yea, I just went up the old paths we used to hike."

"Huh" he stared at her for a moment before turning away, a pained look on his face.

Claire knew Danny wasn't ready to talk about their parents and how they had treated him, so she left it be. She went to the kitchen and pulled some leftovers out of the freezer, popping them in the oven.

"Dinner should be ready in an hour, I'm gonna shower." She shouted as she ran up the stairs.

She showered quickly and went to her dresser, pulling on bra and underwear before carefully choosing her outfit. She grabbed her new faux leather and spandex leggings and wiggled into them before choosing a hunter green wrap shirt that would bring out the green in her hazel eyes.

She blow dried her hair and applied a smoky eye before pulling on her chunky black boots and leather jacket. Not only did she look smokin, she felt great.

Hopefully when she went to Tim's before the bar, things would go well.

Sighing, she opened her laptop and found the email from the Marshals containing the information for Boyd. She pulled an old flash drive from her desk and downloaded it, tucking it into her jacket pocket before heading downstairs for dinner.

Danny whistled when she walked into the kitchen, "Dang Claire, Tim is goin to get jealous of you goin to see Boyd lookin like that!"

Claire smiled and shook her head, "And how would he know?"

Danny grinned and held up his phone, "Because I took your picture when you weren't looking."

Claire gasped and ran over, "NOOOO! You need to let me see that NOW."

Danny shook his head and tried to hold the phone out of her reach, but with one good arm, he quickly lost. Claire looked at the picture and shook her head, "No! This is terrible! Take it again!"

Danny grinned at her, "So you want to send him a picture?"

Claire paused and then nodded, "Yea, let's send him the picture and see what he does. I have time till I have to go."

She posed a few times and Danny took pictures until she was satisfied. Quickly going through them she chose one where she looked like Danny had caught her turning and smiling. It looked natural, and still she managed to look good.

"Okay, so tell him that I'm going to Boyd's….Oh wait! Say that Boyd asked me to come over and hang out. Tell him that apparently Eva is out of town working on the heist details." She grinned at Danny.

Danny shook his head smiling, "You're a bad woman. Aren't you worried this'll upset him more?"

Claire shook her head, "He needs to pull out of his spiral. He needs something to focus on, and this is work. He's supposed to protect me. Well, this is you saying I'm going to go spend time **alone** Boyd, and you think something untoward might happen."

Danny grinned and shook his head, "As I said, you're a bad woman."

After they had eaten dinner and sat watching tv for a little while Claire stood, "Okay, I'm heading out. I'll take my bike. If an emergency happens, the car keys are in the kitchen. You have my cell, the Marshals, 911…but everything is going to be good. Okay?"

Danny shook his head, "Way to be reassuring."

Claire grinned, "Sorry, it's the habit of a surgeon. You look at all the percentages, expect the worst, prepare for all the worst case scenarios, and then get surprised when things turn out well."

Danny raised a brow, "That sucks sis."

Claire shrugged, "It's not so bad. Anyway, I'll see you later. Love ya!" she called as she walked to the garage. She quickly peeled out of the driveway and sped over to Boyd's, her stomach a ball of nerves.

What she had told Danny was true, she did expect the worst, was prepared for every scenario. She had no expectations of this undercover mission with Boyd ending well. So long as it ended with Danny alive and Boyd in jail, she would be okay.

When she pulled into the bar and shut off her bike she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Pulling it out she saw she had a text from Tim. Grabbing her helmet, she walked slowly to the bar.

**Don't do anything stupid or dangerous. Don't let him touch you. **

She sighed and tucked her phone into her pocket and pushed the bar door open, a wave of cigarette smoke and beer smell hitting her. Walking to the bar she leaned in and smiled at the man, "I'm here to see Boyd."

He frowned at her, but before he could deny her, Boyd came around the corner. "Why Claire! My, my, my! You do look enticing tonight! How kind of you to accept my invitation."

Claire smiled and leaned in, kissing his cheek softly, surprising him. "Can a girl get a drink around here?" she teased.

Boyd turned to the bartender, "Earl! Get Miss Bennett whatever she wants, on the house of course!"

Claire nodded, "Thank you. Gin and tonic please."

Earl nodded and quickly made her drink, sliding it to her.

"Why don't we go on to the back, get comfortable?" Boyd offered his smile like a crocodiles'.

Claire smiled sweetly, "That sounds lovely."

She followed him to the back room they had met in before and sat on the couch, shrugging out of her jacket. Her phone buzzed again and she pulled it out, seeing another text from Tim.

**You look like sin. **

"Anybody I know?" Boyd asked, sitting next to her.

"Aaah…no." Claire lied, smiling as she slid her phone into her pocket. "Just a friend from the island. Checking in on me to see how things are going."

Boyd nodded, "And how are things going?"

Claire tilted her head, "I presume you aren't asking after my well being?"

Boyd laughed, "Sharp as a tack! Yes Miss Bennett, you are correct. How are things going with your little Marshal?"

Claire sighed and sipped her drink, "Mmm, I think he's mad at me. Danny came home from the hospital and I've been taking care of him, so I don't have as much time to spend with him. I'm going there after this though. Try and cheer him up."

Boyd smiled crookedly, "Well, I think you will do a mighty fine job of putting some cheer in his night. You already brought some to mine."

Claire gave him a thin smile over the rim of her glass and took a long sip before asking, "And where is Eva? I was looking forward to seeing her."

Boyd sighed, "She's not feelin too well. The flu I think."

Claire nodded, "Well, if y'all need me to take a look, I can."

Boyd smiled, "That is mighty kind of you. I will let her know." He gave her an appraising look and slid his hand across the back of the couch before asking, "Now, what information might you have for me?"

Claire felt the tension in the room change and continued to breathe steadily. Smiling, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the flash drive, handing it to Boyd, "Here. They're choosing between three different routes for the transfer. I stole these from the Marshal's computer."

Boyd's brows shot up; he hadn't really expected her to be able to get information. This was incredibly valuable….which either meant she was as good as she said, or the Marshals were feeding her information.

Within seconds he was on her, his hands at her throat, pushing her into the couch. Claire's drink fell to the ground, the glass shattering, the drink splashing across her boots.

"Now you're gonna tell me how you got that information. Nod. Did the Marshals give it to you?" Boyd asked pleasantly.

Claire shook her head no, gasping for air.

Boyd squeezed harder, "I don't believe you Claire. Did the Marshals give it to you?"

Claire shook her head no, her vision beginning to spot.

Boyd stared down at her, "Did you steal it from his computer?"

Claire barely nodded, her blood rushing in her ears as she fought for breath, her vision now blackening.

Boyd released her, "Aw hell, okay. I'm sorry, I just gotta makes sure you aint playing me to the Marshals."

Claire nodded and rubbed her throat, unable to speak. After a few minutes she stood, "Review the information, and I'll get more to you later. Thanks for the drink."

Boyd nodded, "Have a good night with your man Miss Bennett. I am sorry."

Claire nodded again and walked out quickly, pulling on her jacket and helmet, quickly sitting astride her bike. She sat for a moment, letting her shaking hands steady before roaring off into the night.

When she stood before Tim's door she knocked, waiting, her hands shaking. Long moments passed before the door opened and Tim stood before her, disheveled and tired looking.

She stepped forward into the light of his apartment and pulled the collar of her jacket down, showing him the red marks that were quickly turning into bruises, "You're right, I shouldn't have let him touch me" she spoke, barely able to whisper.

Tim's eyes locked on her neck, his hands fisting at his sides. When he reached out to touch her neck though, they were gentle, barely the lightest of touches, skin against skin. His eyes turned to hers, and he stepped aside, watching her as she came inside, shutting the door behind her.

Tim made a resolution then; he was going to put Boyd Crowder into his grave.


	11. Burn down the Walls

_**AN: So here's another update for you guys! I've been listening to a lot of music by the Civil Wars and it's been so good for writing this. I'm so in love with them. Also, if you want to know what Claire looks like, I'm updating the image for this story with her pic! so take a peek! Thank you for reading! please review, i love hearing your thoughts! xoxo **_

* * *

They stood staring at each other in silence in Tim's living room until Claire whispered, "Are you…have you..." she sighed and tried again, "Are you sober?"

Tim nodded, "Barely."

He had finished one bottle of whiskey in a day, and had passed out for nearly a whole day after. When he had come to, he had been sicker than he had ever been before, and had barely been able to get food into his system.

He hadn't even wanted to look at alcohol today. He had managed to eat and drink water and sports drinks to rehydrate, but he had lain on the couch for most of the day feeling shitty.

When Danny had sent him the text about Claire going to the bar to see Boyd, and the picture, he had stared at the whiskey on the counter, considering opening it. He had stared at her picture, the smile on her lips, her eyes dancing with laughter, her leather jacket hanging from her hand as she turned towards the camera, her shirt wrapping around her curves, her long legs encased in pants that made his own tight.

He had paced around his apartment, considering going after her, providing backup. But Boyd would never talk shop around him, and he would only blow her cover if he showed up near the bar. So he had texted her to be careful, to not let Boyd touch her.

When he had heard the knock at his door, he had known it was her. When he opened it and saw her pale face, her makeup smudged and a look of panic in her eye, he had known something was wrong.

When she had pulled her jacket collar down and shown him the redness from Boyd's hands, he had gone ice cold inside. The Rangers had taught him to sit and wait patiently for a target, well, now he would put all of his time and effort into waiting to take down Boyd.

He reached out and touched her hand, pulling back when she jumped. "Hey, sorry. Why don't you sit down?" He pointed to the couch and after a moment Claire nodded.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked softly.

Claire shook her head, "I-I shouldn't I have to get home, I can't leave Danny."

Tim shook his head, "You can't drive home like this, especially not on that bike."

Claire sighed, running her hands through her hair and over her face, "I'm tired and I feel like shit. I came here to show you what he did. I'm not sure if he still trusts me. But I have to be able to get him more information, and it needs to look like I'm stealing it from you, or he's going to kill me."

"Fine, I'll talk to Raylan and the tech boys about it in the morning. For now, let's get you home. Come on." He stood and held his hand out, waiting for her to take it.

Claire put her hand in his gently and stood, "Thanks."

Tim nodded and grabbed his gun, badge, wallet and keys before locking the door behind them. "Give me the keys to the bike, I'll drive."

Claire handed them over, not even trying to argue. She was tired, her throat was sore, and she felt like crying. All she really wanted was a shower, a cup of tea, and to go to bed.

When they pulled into the garage at her house she went inside quietly, hoping Danny was asleep. "Hey Claire bear, that you?" Danny called out.

Sighing, she hung her head, standing in the dark kitchen, leaning against the island. Tim leaned against it beside her and whispered, "It's ok, I'm right here."

Claire turned to look at him, her eyes shining, "Are you? Because you haven't been." She stared at him for a long moment, her hurt and betrayal plain. Tim stared back, not knowing what to say, the words stuck in his throat.

Breaking her gaze, Claire shook her head and walked out to the living room, "Hey Danny boy, it's me. Tim's here too."

Tim moved from the island and walked out to the living room, waving at Danny, "Hey. How you doing man?"

Danny raised a brow but smiled, "Not too bad. I'm gettin around better. I think I'll move upstairs tomorrow. Claire won't have so much on her hands that way."

Tim nodded, "That's good."

Claire leaned down and kissed Danny's cheek, "I'm going to take a shower and head to bed, I'll see you in the morning. Love you."

Danny nodded and watched her head up the stairs before turning to Tim and speaking quietly, "Where the hell have you been you dick."

Tim ran a hand through his hair, "I'm going to say this once- I stayed away because it's better for her."

Danny stood and pointed to the second floor, to Claire, "Better for her? You're kiddin me right? She went for a two hour run yesterday cuz of you. She came back lookin like she had been cryin. An now she comes home lookin like someone _strangled _her. How the fuck is that better for her?!" Danny stage shouted.

Tim nodded, "I know! I should have been there tonight. I know that! But if I go to Boyd's you know her cover would be blown. It's in danger as it is. Boyd strangled her, thinkin she's a rat!"

Danny made a choked noise and raised a hand to Tim who let his hand drift to his side, ever so slightly towards his gun. Danny scoffed, "I ain't goin to hit ya. But if she gets hurt anymore, I will. You need to protect her. An you need to stop Boyd."

Tim nodded, "I'm putting him in the ground."

Danny stared him down for a moment and then nodded, "Good." Stepping back he shook his head, listening as the shower ran overhead. Turning to look at Tim he pointed to the kitchen, "She likes mint tea when she's upset. Honey."

Tim nodded, "Thanks."

Danny nodded and sank back down into his chair. He had to come up with a way to help Claire. She couldn't get hurt by Boyd or Tim.

A few minutes later Tim came out of the kitchen with a steaming mug of tea and went upstairs leaving him to stew.

Tim heard the shower still running and went into Claire's room, setting the mug down on the vanity. After another ten minutes and Claire still hadn't emerged from the shower, he grew worried.

Walking to the bathroom door, he knocked, "Claire? You ok?"

No answer.

He knocked again.

No answer.

Trying the door, he found it unlocked and pushed the door open. "Claire?" he called softly. He heard a soft noise and pushed the curtain back on the tub, sighing when he saw her curled up on the floor of the tub, her knees pulled into her chest.

He stared at her for a moment and then stepped back, kicking off his boots and socks and stepped into the tub, pushing her aside gently and gathering her in his arms. He could feel her trembling in his arms, and her heart beat rapidly against his chest.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there Claire. I should have been. I'm sorry he hurt you. I'm so sorry." Tim whispered. Claire shuddered and began to cry softly, her body shaking.

Tim felt as though his guts were being ripped out, listening to her cry. He didn't know how to make her pain better, when it was his fault. "I-I'm sorry Claire, I'm so sorry" he whispered, his voice breaking, burying his face in her neck.

Claire shook with a maelstrom of emotions, anger at Boyd, at Tim, at herself for not fighting harder, fear that Boyd would hurt her again, the pain of knowing that Tim blamed himself for Boyd's actions…She shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

As the water cooled she leaned forward to turn it off. Tim kept a hand on her waist as she stood, slightly unsteady.

He stood and stared down into her eyes, reddened from crying, and brushed a strand of wet hair out of her face. Claire touched his soaked shirt and a ghost of a smile touched her lips, "Sorry about this."

Tim ran his hand from her face to her throat, "I'm sorry about this. You have every right to hate me, I should have been there."

Claire shook her head, "No." She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, tossing him another. She walked to her room and shut the door, quickly pulling on a sweater and underwear. She sat on her bed and watched as Tim stripped off his shirt and pants, drying off.

"You shouldn't have been there. I may have wanted you there, but you would have made him more suspicious, and he could have killed us both. If this is the price I pay to take him down, then so be it."

Claire took the mug of tea that Tim handed her and when he settled against the pillows, she turned to face him.

"What I can't accept Tim, is you bailing for three days because you had to shoot some cartel member in front of their daughter." When his hands clenched, Claire reached out and took one in her own, "Hey, I know, you hate what they asked of you. I don't think it was right either. But what I do know is that you're a good man. The more you fight that and crawl into a bottle to escape from your past and your demons, the more you feed them. Don't run from them and don't feed them. Fight them."

She squeezed his hand and when he lifted his eyes to hers she smiled softly, "Let me help you fight them. You protect me, keep me safe, so let me try to do the same for you."

Tim stared at her, his throat tight and then pulled on her hand, "Come here."

Claire smiled and turned away to set her mug down before she let Tim pull her into his arms, her head resting on his chest. She listened to the steady beat of his heart as she slowly relaxed, her anxiety and panic from earlier beginning to ease away.

"Have you ever considered not living in Kentucky?" she asked Tim softly. He laughed softly, "Did that for awhile, it sucked. Hot as balls and I had to kill people."

Claire grinned and pinched him, "You know what I meant. I mean, like any other state, anyplace else in the US?"

Tim paused and looked down at her, "You mean like Hawaii?"

Claire looked up at him, "It's one of fifty."

He smirked, "You don't say." Laughing softly, he shook his head, "Nah, it hasn't occurred to me. Work has kept me around here."

Claire nodded and let the subject drop. She couldn't push him to admit he had feelings strong enough to get him to move to Hawaii. Sighing, she nudged him, "Turn out the lights will you?"

He nodded and gently eased her onto the pillows, getting up to turn off the lights before getting back into bed, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

As he lay listening to her soft breathing, Tim wondered how the hell this woman had disarmed him enough to get under his skin and into his heart.

From the first time he had seen her in the Marshal's parking lot, sitting on her bike watching as the agents around him congratulated him on killing someone, she had smirked and raised a brow as if to say, "You enjoy this? I don't think so."

She had cut straight through the bullshit then and every time after, getting to the heart of the problem, looking for a way to solve it. She was breaking through all of his walls, and asking him to burn them down, to trust her to be there when the smoke cleared and all that was left was him.

It terrified him.

He wanted it more than he had wanted anything before.

To no longer be afraid, or angry, or lonely….Oh how he wanted it.


	12. Something Special

_**AN: Aaaand the inspiration just keeps rolling! I hope you all are enjoying this, and having a wonderful 4th of July here in the US, and a great Saturday elsewhere in the world! Thank you so much for reading! xoxo **_

* * *

The next morning Tim rose early, letting Claire sleep while he went downstairs to call the office. He peered into the living room at Danny's sleeping figure while the line rang. "Deputy Givens here" he heard Raylan answer.

Stepping into the dining room he spoke softly, "Raylan, it's Tim. Listen, when Claire went to see Boyd last night he strangled her so hard he almost killed her. He doesn't trust her. He doesn't trust that she got the information by stealing it from me; he thinks that she's being fed information. We have to do something to solidify her cover."

Raylan sighed, "Shit Tim. We haven't heard from you in three days, Claire said you were spiraling into a dark hole, and now you call to say she almost got killed? What the shit is goin on?"

Tim sighed, "I don't have any excuses Raylan. I let my demons out, and I've never tried to control them. I let them control me. I want to do better. I'm working on it, and honest to god, Claire's helpin."

Raylan sighed, "Shit Tim, did you sleep with her?"

Tim sighed, "You really want me to answer that?"

Raylan shook his head, "No…Okay, so how do we convince Boyd that she's not a threat?" he asked.

"Is that Raylan?"

Tim turned and found Claire behind him, her hair mussed and a sleepy look on her face. He nodded, "We're trying to figure out how to solidify your cover with Boyd."

She came over and leaned into him speaking up so Raylan could hear, "Hey Raylan, how are ya?"

Tim put the phone on speaker and held it out, "I'm good Claire, I'm sorry that Boyd hurt you. You doin ok?"

Claire nodded, "I've been better, but I'll be fine with some rest. Now, what are we going to do about Boyd? He likes me, despite what he did last night, and despite him not trusting me."

Tim stared at her, "Are you saying you think you should flirt with him?" he asked incredulous.

Claire shrugged, "I don't like it much either, but I can give it a shot. He looks at me like I'm candy he wants but isn't allowed to have. Maybe if I give him a taste…."

Tim made a low growling noise and shook his head, "No. Absolutely not."

Raylan sighed, "I don't like it either Claire. Boyd's going to know that you're playing him. We need you to play this smart."

Claire sighed, "Okay…what if I come up with something for him to rob or to hit in the meantime? Are there any targets for him to hit?"

Raylan sighed, "Give me a few minutes." The sound of computer keys clacking carried over the phone, and Claire turned to Tim, laying her head on his chest. He pressed a kiss to her hair softly and whispered, "You ok?"

She nodded and squeezed his side gently, "I'm gonna make some tea, you want some?"

Tim grinned, "Nah, you got coffee?"

Claire smiled, "Of course, I'm no heathen." She walked over and flipped on the coffee maker, the sound of the percolator filling the kitchen. She set her kettle on to boil and walked back over to Tim.

"Alright, here's what we've got. The hospital is getting a new shipment of narcotics this weekend. They can hit it and sell the drugs." Raylan sighed, "The hospital is insured and will get another shipment."

Claire nodded, "Okay, so I can say I got the info when I went to the hospital to get a refill for one of Danny's meds, and they were out, but told me that they were getting a new shipment in."

Tim nodded, "It's Saturday morning, we know Boyd likes to have plenty of time to plan, you think he'll go for this with such little time? The shipment comes in tomorrow afternoon."

Claire nodded, "I think we'll be fine. I'll call him now and let him know. If he needs to see me, I'll go over and reassure him. Good?"

Raylan sighed, "You let us know as soon as he responds. Got it?"

Claire nodded, "Got it."

"Talk to you later Raylan." Tim said before hanging up.

Claire sighed and went to pour out the coffee and tea, handing Tim his mug. "You feel like making some breakfast?"

Tim grinned, "Thought you could cook?" he teased.

Claire made a face and laughed, "Doesn't mean I want to do it all the time." She smiled and rubbed her throat absently, wincing as her fingers touched on bruises.

Tim came over and brushed her hair out of her face, running his fingers over her face softly, "I'm sorry. I wish you didn't have to do this."

Claire smiled, winding her fingers through his hair, leaning up to kiss him softly.

"You two need to get a room."

Claire and Tim broke apart, Claire blushing. Danny grinned, "I heard something about breakfast?"

Tim nodded, "You want some eggs?"

Claire and Danny chorused, "Yes please." Tim grinned and went to work, making breakfast.

Claire turned to Danny and waved a hand at his broken arm, "How's that feeling? Let's do a physical."

Danny sighed, "Fine. Let's get it over with."

Claire had Danny walk from one end of the dining room to the other, one foot in front of the other. When he stepped back in front of her she had him touch his fingers to his nose, and then hold his arms out, checking for neurological issues.

Nodding, she smiled, "Looks good, plus you've handled the stairs well. I think we can move you upstairs to your old room."

Danny nodded, "Sounds good."

Tim turned, "How about we do that after breakfast?" He held up the pan, "It's ready."

Claire and Danny sat down, eagerly eating the eggs and toast that Tim had made. When they were done Danny did the dishes while Claire and Tim packed up the day bed and tossed the sheets into the laundry.

Claire went upstairs and grabbed the burner, dialing Boyd. When he answered on the fifth ring sounding sleepy, she took a breath and began her spiel. "Hey Boyd, did I wake you?" she asked with a smile, trying to sound coy.

"Well Claire I think you know you did. But what can I do for you?" he asked.

Claire smiled, "Well, it's more of what I can do for you. I was at the hospital yesterday trying to get a refill on one of Danny's prescriptions. Only problem is, they were all out."

Boyd sighed, "Well that is unfortunate for poor Danny, but how is this story interesting to me?"

"I'm getting there" Claire said before continuing, "It's interesting because they're getting a shipment of narcotics tomorrow afternoon. Morphine, oxy, dilaudid, you name it, they're getting it."

"Hmm, well, that's certainly a very interesting story. What time is this shipment supposed to come?" Boyd asked.

"10am" Claire answered.

"Well then Claire. I will see you tomorrow at 9am. Be at the bay doors of the hospital."Boyd hung up, leaving Claire to stare at the phone.

"Shit" she whispered. Sinking down onto the bed she ran a hand over her face, _great, now I'm going to be involved in a robbery, what is my life coming to?_-she thought to herself.

She heard footsteps and looked up, seeing Tim standing above her. He stared at her for a moment and then crouched down, "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

Claire sighed, "Well, Boyd's interested, he wants to hit the shipment tomorrow…and he wants me there."

Tim sighed, "Shit." He nodded, standing, "Okay, get dressed. We're going to do some target practice and self defense."

Claire nodded, "Okay." She dressed in leggings and boots, pulling a sports bra on before tugging her sweater back on. She followed Tim downstairs to the gun safe, putting the combination in and opening it.

She pointed, "We have three rifles and daddy had a hand gun too. What do you want to use?" Tim grabbed a shotgun and shells and the hand gun, handing her the 9mm to tuck into her waistband.

After finding a large piece of paper he drew a target and they went to the backyard, pinning it to a tree and walked ten yards back. Tim set the shotgun and shells on the ground and had Claire hand him the 9mm.

He turned the gun away and had her step close, "Okay, have you ever used this?"

Claire nodded, "Dad used to show us, of course that was years ago."

Tim nodded, "Okay, so there is no safety. That's very important. When someone hands it to you, you check the chamber, make sure it isn't loaded. If it is, the round pops out. Got it?" he asked. Claire nodded.

"Okay, so, we're going to practice having you draw from your side. Watch me." He tucked the gun into the side of his jeans and squared off to the target. In one smooth movement he drew the gun, aimed and fired, hitting dead center.

Claire gasped; it was so much louder than she remembered. Tim turned and saw her eyes widened, "You ok?" he asked grinning.

She smiled, "It's louder than I remember" she said, speaking louder than she meant to, her ears ringing.

Tim sighed, "Shit, sorry. Your daddy have hearing protection inside?"

"I think so" she said.

Tim nodded, "Okay, practice your draw and focusing on the target. I'll be right back." He ejected the clip and handed her the gun. Claire took it and tucked it into her waistband, feeling its weight.

She practiced pulling it out until it felt smooth and then sighted down the barrel to the target, pulling the trigger. She practiced again, sighting down to the target. "Keep both eyes open" she heard Tim whisper from behind her.

She nodded and opened them wide, trying to breathe steadily. "Okay now adjust your left hand" he reached around her and turned her hand, moving it into a better position. "There, now, when you're ready, take a breath, let it out slowly, and fire" he whispered, his breath against her neck.

Claire nodded and took a breath, letting it out slowly, and pulled the trigger. Tim nodded and stepped back taking the gun from her hand. "Okay, now let's do live fire. You ready?" he asked.

Claire nodded, "Let's do it."

Tim handed her the hearing protection and then gun and the clip, "Okay load it." She slid the hearing protection on and slid the clip in, pulling the slide back to chamber a round. Sliding it into her waistband she stood still for a moment and then pulled the gun, aimed at the target, and fired.

Her shot went high, barely hitting the paper. She sighed and lowered the gun, turning to Tim, "Not so great, huh?"

Tim grinned, "Listen that target is positioned at the height of a man approximately six feet tall, at center mass. What you hit, would be right around the throat. You would definitely have killed him."

Claire nodded, "Not what I was aiming at though."

Tim nodded, "Okay, well, bend your arms and push your butt out a little more."

Claire grinned, "Oh? I'm sure you'll enjoy that."

Tim grinned, "It's the best form for firing, whether I enjoy it or not is irrelevant."

Claire grinned and shook her head, "Okay." She put her gun back in her waistband and pulled it out a moment later, keeping her arms slightly bent, her butt pushed back and as she breathed out, she fired.

When the bullet hit within two inches of center mass, she grinned and pointed the gun down, turning to Tim, "I did it!"

He smiled, "Great job. Let's do it a few more times."

Claire nodded and they kept going, firing five more rounds before her arms started to tire. Tim took the gun from her and tucked it into his waistband, picking up the shotgun, "You want to try this? It's going knock your shoulder around."

Claire sighed, "Yea, let's give it a go." She took it from Tim and loaded a shell in pointing it down to the target.

Tim adjusted the gun into the crook of her shoulder and tilted her head up, "It won't hurt as much this way" he said softly. Claire nodded and after a moment pulled the trigger, gasping as the gun kicked like a mule into her shoulder.

She lowered the gun and handed it to Tim, her hands shaking. Pulling her hearing protection off, she held her hand up, showing him, "I think I'm done."

He nodded and pointed to the target, "You did good." Peering down at it, Claire could see that her shot had hit center-right.

She followed Tim inside and locked the guns back up before sinking down on the couch in the living room, her shoulder aching. Tim saw her wince and touch her shoulder and sat down beside her, pulling her into his lap before he began to rub her shoulders gently.

Claire winced, and then relaxed, "You're good at that."

Tim smiled, "You're pretty good at shootin that gun" he leaned in and kissed her neck softly, whispering, "It's pretty hot."

Claire grinned, "Hmm, well you still have to teach me self defense. Think you can keep it in your pants long enough to teach me that?"

Tim grinned, "You feel up to it?"

Claire turned to look at him, grinning, "Are you asking me if I feel up to doing self defense or…" she ran a hand down his chest and snuck it under the waistband of his jeans, raising a brow when she encountered bare skin.

"My my Deputy Gutterson, what have we here?" she whispered.

"Nothin comes between me and my Calvin's…"he whispered his voice trailing off as her hand stroked him softly.

Claire leaned in and kissed him softly, "Mmm, I thought that referred to underwear?"

Tim grinned, "You disappointed I aint wearing any?" he whispered.

"Mmm, not at all." She said, grinning. Kissing him again, she pulled her hand out and stood, "We going to do self defense?" she asked with a wicked grin.

Tim sat for a moment, taking a deep breath before standing, "Let's do it. Which room has the least amount of furniture?" he asked.

"Basement is good, it's finished." Claire said, walking to the kitchen and opening the basement door, turning on the light before walking down.

Tim followed her, his jeans uncomfortably tight, and his gaze drawn to her ass, deliciously clad in leggings. Claire stood in the middle of the carpeted basement and waved a hand, "Okay, now what?"

Tim motioned, "Turn around; I'm going to show you how to break out of a chokehold." Claire nodded and faced away. Tim came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her throat in a chokehold, keeping them loose.

"Okay now here is what you do. Reach up with both hands and grab at the junction of mine. Rip down, and as my arms come down, you pull your head through the hole they create. As you back away, knee me in the groin, and punch me in the head. You got it?"

Claire nodded. "Okay, I'm going to tighten my grip, and I want you to try to break out."

Tim tightened his grip around her throat and after a moment Claire reached up and ripped at his hands, tugging as hard as she could until he was forced to let her go. As she pulled her head through the hole she brought her knee up to his groin, holding back from hitting him and then pretended to punch him twice in the head.

Tim backed away and held up a hand, "Okay great that was a good job. Let's work on some punches and kicks too." Claire nodded and mirrored his stance when he stood across from her.

They worked for half an hour on jabs, crosses, hooks, roundhouses, and a series of combinations until Claire was sore and tired. She sat down on the floor and lay back, closing her eyes.

When her shirt lifted up and a set of lips pressed to her stomach, she cracked an eye open and grinned at Tim. "You are just asking for trouble, huh." She murmured softly.

Tim smiled, "Just returning the favor." He kissed down her abdomen and tugged at her waistband, pulling her pants lower.

"Tim, Danny's upstairs…this is not…not…"she trailed off as he settled his mouth on her core. Her heart beat faster as his tongue flicked against her, making her sigh and dig her fingers into his hair.

"Shit Tim…"she whispered, moaning softly as he sucked on her clit, a bolt of pleasure rushing through her. When he ran his tongue up and inside her, she moaned louder, arching her back, "Christ Tim…Tim!"

She tugged on his hair, holding him close, breathing heavily. When Tim pulled away and leaned over her, she stared up at him through hazy eyes, "Wha…what are you doin?" she whispered.

Tim leaned down and kissed her, hard, "I want to know that you're good with this, that you want it, that you want me."

Claire smiled, "I thought that was fairly obvious when I was moaning your name."

Tim grinned, "Yes, but that's not what I mean. I want to be sure that you want me. You got hurt, and I don't want to rush you." He touched her neck softly.

Claire smiled and leaned up to kiss him, "That's why I l-like you so much. You care about my well being, even when I can feel the raging hard on you have."

Tim paused, had she been going to say "I love you"? His heart beat faster. He leaned down and kissed her, "I like you very much too. And I do have a raging hard on, pretty much anytime I get around you, my dick gets hard."

Claire laughed and shook her head, "You sure know how to charm a girl Gutterson."

Tim raised a brow, "I try ma'am." He paused, he liked her a whole hell of a lot more than "very much", enough to say "I love you"…but it would be the first time saying it to anyone other than his mother, in a very very long time.

He didn't really want to do it on her basement floor, with her pants around her ankles. Instead he sat up and smiled, "Why don't you go take a hot shower, I'm sure you're sore."

Claire stared up at him, confused. "I-I thought we were…"she pushed her hips into his suggestively, and grinned.

Tim smiled, "Woman, you are going to be the death of me. Your brother is upstairs, you were right. Wrong place and time. Trust me, my hard on is begging me not to say this, but it's the right decision."

Claire groaned and leaned up to kiss him, leaving him breathless, his willpower hanging by a thread. Tim hung his head, speaking into her neck, "I swear to god, you're evil."

Claire laughed and pushed him off of her, pulling her pants up before offering him a hand. He took it and stood, walking behind her on the stairs, "You should wear those leggings all the time." He offered.

Claire grinned at him over her shoulder and swayed her hips, smirking when she heard him groan softly. When she came into the kitchen Danny stood at the stove, making lunch. He raised a brow, "What were you two doin?"

She made a face, "Get your mind out of the gutter. We were practicing self defense." Danny nodded but took in the pained look on Tim's face, and knew it had nothing to do with self defense injuries.

"I'm going to go shower. Can I have some of that?" she asked. Danny nodded and watched her run upstairs before turning on Tim. "You stayin for lunch?"

Tim stared at Danny and got the distinct impression his answer should be no. "I'm guessin I should be going?" he asked wryly.

Danny nodded, "Boyd called her phone while y'all were practicing self defense, and we spoke. He's comin over here to check in on me, seein as we're old friends."

Tim sighed, "Right, I'll get out of here. Let her know what's going down so she doesn't flip, go it?" he ordered.

Danny nodded, "No worries, I'll protect her."

Tim sensed a hint of sarcasm in Danny's tone, but said nothing, grabbing his jacket and heading out the back door, walking quickly through the streets until he was back at his apartment. He didn't mind the walk so much as the fact that it was freezing out.

When he sank down on the couch with a beer, he felt his phone buzz and pulled it out to see a text from Claire.

**Danny just told me about Boyd. Sorry you had to leave. I'll come see you later. Check out what I got for you. **

A second later a picture came through of Claire, one that made him choke on his mouthful of beer. She was clad in a pair of bright red underwear, a lace bra that clung to her breasts like they had been molded to her, and a pair of cheeky underwear that barely covered her firm ass.

He took a deep breath and grinned, sending a text back.

**Evil. Evil woman. Please wear a turtleneck and a parka and the ugliest pants you have around Boyd. **

A moment later she responded.

**Planning on it. That's just for you. **

He grinned and laid back against the couch.

**You should call me when he gets there and put the phone out of sight so I know what's being said, and if you're in trouble I can be there in minutes. **

It was the only solution he had come up with that had him get there in a short amount of time without seeming like he was showing up because Boyd was there. He could say he had gotten off work and wanted to see Claire. Show Boyd the pictures, and ask him to leave.

**Alright, but only if necessary. **

Tim nodded and sat back to wait for the phone call.

He couldn't wait to see Claire. He wanted to do something special for her tonight…to say something special.


	13. The Truth

_**AN: Hey y'all it's been a bit on this one! sorry about that. I moved two weekends ago and then it was my bday, and i've been having car problems. So life has been busy and expensive. GREAT. lol thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Things will be wrapping up soonish-probably by chapter 20. Please review, I love to hear your thoughts! xoxo **_

* * *

Claire slipped into more subdued underwear and shimmied into jeans and a soft long sleeved Henley before pulling her hair into a ponytail. Examining her neck in the mirror, she frowned, it was definitely bruised.

How was she supposed to deal with Boyd? She hated the man….she wanted nothing more than to kick the shit out of him, but she had to play nice for now, and run a heist with him. Nothing too hard…

Sighing, she grabbed her supplies for the heist that she planned on showing Boyd and walked downstairs to sit by the fire with her feet curled under her while she typed up patient files. Despite not working, she had work. Shaking her head, she concentrated and the time slipped by.

Thirty minutes passed and before she knew it Boyd was knocking on the front door.

Danny stood and muted the TV, "I got it, you sit." Claire nodded and pulled out her phone, dialing Tim and whispering "Boyd's here" when he answered.

Tim spoke softly, "Be careful" as she set the phone down on the couch beside her and went back to her paperwork with half attention. A few moments later Danny walked in with Boyd trailing him, glancing around the house.

Claire looked up from her laptop and barely smiled at Boyd. "Boyd, it's good to see you" she said, her voice lukewarm.

Boyd raised a brow, "I do believe your tone says otherwise Claire" he said with a sheepish smile. Claire stared at him for a long moment and then stood, stepping close, staring him down.

"You can wait outside Danny, we're good here" she glanced over Boyd's shoulder and nodded at Danny when he hesitated.

After he left she turned her attention to Boyd, "You're right, I'm not thrilled to see you Boyd. I wouldn't be thrilled to see anyone who had nearly choked me to the point of unconsciousness. The fact that it's supposed to be my partner in a heist, in something that we'll need to trust each other on…It's upsetting."

Boyd raised a brow and rocked back on his heels, "Well damn Claire, you sure tell it like it is." He studied her for a moment and then grew serious, "I am sorry I hurt you, I overreacted and it was never my intention to harm you. I've never hurt a woman before."

Claire stared at him, rage roiling inside her, remembering her friends' miscarriage and bruises from high school. She wanted to tear him apart. Instead she smiled placidly and nodded, "Okay Boyd, we can move forward….Let me just do one thing first?" she asked softly.

Boyd nodded, "Whatever you need darlin."

Claire grinned and without warning threw a right hook, whipping Boyd's head around, sending him stumbling toward the fireplace.

"Tha fuck?!" he groaned, his hands cupping his face, blood weeping from a cut above his eye. Claire grinned and tucked her sore hand into her pocket, "Now we're even Boyd. You ever try anything like that again, and you'll find yourself at the business end of my gun, you got it?"

Boyd nodded, trying to stem the blood, "Understood."

Claire nodded and then went to the kitchen for a towel, forcing Boyd to sit and hold it to his eye. She stood over him and watched as he applied pressure, wincing at the pain. After a moment she sat down and took the towel away, assessing the cut.

"You don't need stitches, a butterfly bandage would help. Hold on, I have some upstairs." She ran upstairs and grabbed two and some alcohol to clean it out. When she sat back down beside Boyd she cleaned the cut carefully, smirking at his winces.

She gently applied the bandages and smoothed her fingers over his brow, staring at Boyd for a long moment, not saying anything, just staring….she supposed in a clinical way that he was attractive…but after everything, she couldn't see him that way.

Boyd touched her hand gently, "What you thinkin about?" he asked softly.

Claire shrugged, "Just about this job we're doing tomorrow. I have some supplies I wanted to show you." She leaned down and pulled out a duffle bag, pulling it onto the couch. Boyd watched with interest as she tugged out a fiery red wig, aviators, and a baseball bat.

She grinned, "I'll wash the wig and style it, and no one will be able to tell it's me with the wig and the glasses. The baseball gives me a less lethal option than a gun."

Boyd nodded, "Smart. Very smart." He sighed and sat back, "I've got two other boys helpin us out tomorrow. When did you say the delivery is?" he asked.

"Shipment comes in at 10am. They use an armored truck service which is heavily armed. Our best shot is to hit them as they're opening the doors to unload, to already be in the hospital. We should get there thirty minutes early and work our way into the hospital, it's not hard if we all have disguises" Claire said with a shrug.

Boyd nodded, "It's a smart plan. I'll make sure the boys know to disguise themselves. We'll meet at the bay doors for the delivery five minutes before delivery so we don't arouse suspicion. Got it?" he asked.

Claire nodded and stood, "I'll see you tomorrow then." She waited for him to take the hint and when he stood she walked him to the door, "After this and the hit on the feds, we're square Boyd. You leave me and my family alone. No more."

Boyd grinned, "Your wish is my command Claire." He waved and walked out the door, grinning when he heard it slam behind him.

Claire sighed and leaned against the door for a moment before walking back to the living room, grabbing her phone. She brought it to her ear, seeing it was still connected, and spoke softly, "Hey, you get all that?" she asked.

"Yea, he's a silver tongued bastard. But now we have him on conspiracy to commit grand larceny." Tim sighed and asked softly, "You have any other plans for this afternoon?"

Claire shook her head, "No, why? Did you have something in mind for us?" she asked with a sly grin.

Tim smiled, "Well, if you don't have plans with anyone else, why don't you put a nice outfit and those pretty red underwear of yours on, and come over here at 6?"

Claire grinned, "I can do that. I'll see you at 6." She hung up the phone and sighed, looking at the time. It was only 3pm.

Danny came back in the room and leaned against the door, "Well, that was fun, huh?" he said with a grin.

Claire nodded, "A blast. I'm going for a run. Can you fend for dinner? I'll be going over to Tim's."

Danny stared at her for a moment and then nodded, "Yea, that's fine darlin. You just be careful."

Claire nodded and ran upstairs to change quickly into her running gear. She waved to Danny before heading out the door and running down the street to a new path that she had discovered the other day.

As she ran she breathed steadily, a smile creeping over her face as she imagined what Tim had planned. Part of her was frustrated, yelling that she should know better than to get involved with him, no matter how good it was, no matter how she felt about him. The other part knew that she had never felt this way about another person before.

She climbed up a hill, panting, and came to an overlook, looking out at the city of Harlan below. She had worked for years to get a good enough education to get out, and now she was back. As she turned and began her descent she wondered if Tim would ever consider a life in Hawaii…

She could picture him, suntanned and smiling on the beach, learning to surf. Or even better, laying in her bed, the warm sea breeze teasing his hair…she smiled and picked up her pace, eager to see him.

She burst back into the house, snow swirling around her as the temperature dropped. Jogging into the living room, she grinned at Danny who was watching a football game. He smiled and shook his head at her, "You're crazy darlin."

Claire smiled, breathing heavily, "I'll get you out there when you feel better. It's good for your recovery." When Danny only shook his head she grinned and went to the kitchen to grab a protein bar.

Swallowing large bites she ran upstairs and began to investigate her closet. Tim had already seen her green dress…sighing, she quickly flipped through each item and dismissed it until she reached a long sleeved wrap dress in a sky blue. She would pair it with her favorite camel colored ankle boots and her leather jacket and be a knockout.

Stripping off her sweaty running clothes, she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower staring at herself in the mirror. She had lost weight since coming to Harlan since she had been running more and eating less, taking care of Danny and worrying about Boyd.

Sighing, she worried that she looked tired. Hopefully a hot shower and some skillful makeup would change that. Climbing into the shower, she sighed as the hot water eased her tight muscles.

The scent of lilacs filled the bathroom and Claire sighed with happiness, loving the smell. Once she was clean she shut the water off and wrapped her robe around her, toweling off her hair. She rubbed argan oil into her hair, twisting it into curls before rubbing her hands clean.

Picking up her phone back in her room, she turned on her music and hummed along as she sat in front of her vanity, applying mascara and eyeliner. After she applied a light powder to her face she stood and shed her robe, slathering on body lotion, also scented with lilac.

Pulling on the set of red underwear she grinned as she looked in the mirror, she looked amazing, she had to admit. Glancing at her phone she saw that it was just after 5pm, she needed to finish her hair before she got dressed.

Pulling her robe on, she walked back to the bathroom and turned the hair dryer on, twisting her hair into gorgeous curls as it dried. When she shut the dryer off she heard a knock on the bathroom door, "Yo Claire, ya almost done?" Danny called.

Claire opened the door and grinned, "Just like high school. Yea, I'm done."

Danny laughed, "Sorry, I jus had to pee."

Claire grinned, "Why didn't you go use the master bathroom?"

Danny frowned, "I jus didn't think of it…It's still mom an dad's room to me."

Claire nodded and stepped out of the bathroom, her hand touching on his arm softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push."

Danny shrugged, "It's fine."

Claire studied him for a moment and then nodded, stepping into her room, shutting the door behind her. Sighing, she leaned against the door. Her brother was clearly still dealing with the death of their parents and his anger towards them. She was going to have to help him deal with it…god knows how.

Sitting back down, she applied a smoky eye and plum lipstick before standing and shedding her robe. Pulling the dress on, she tied it on and slipped her boots on, shrugging her leather jacket on. Walking downstairs she peered into the living room and smiled at Danny, "Hey, I'm heading out, I'll see you later ok?"

He nodded, "Be safe. You look beautiful."

Claire smiled, "Thank you sweetie, I'll be back later." She walked out to the car and drove quickly through the falling snow over to Tim's. It seemed like it was going to be a bad storm, which worried her. She had a big day of robbery ahead of her, the last thing she needed was a blizzard messing things up.

Claire parked at Tim's and walked up the stairs and knocked on the door, anticipation making her stomach nervous. A moment later the door opened and Claire sucked in a breath at the sight of Tim, clad in a tailored black button down shirt and dark jeans, his hair damp from the shower.

His eyes ran over her before coming back to her face and smirking. Stepping aside he waved a hand, "Please ma'am, come in." Claire grinned and stepped into the apartment, shock rippling through her when she looked around.

Tim had hung curtains, laid out dinner on the table with candles, and there was music playing softly. When his hand wrapped gently around hers, she looked up at him and smiled brightly, "This is wonderful Tim, you completely surprised me."

He smiled and led her to the dinner table, pulling out the chair for her. Claire set her jacket aside and tucked her hands into her lap as Tim sat across from her. He picked up the bottle of wine, "Would you like a glass?" he asked holding it out to her.

Claire nodded, "Please, just a little." She held her glass out and Tim filled it partially, until she nodded and took it back and sipped, humming with pleasure. Tim watched her with a smile on his lips; she looked so alluring in the soft candlelight, her cheeks flushed as she sipped on the wine.

Claire raised a brow at him and smiled, "So, what's for dinner?" she asked.

Tim reached over and lifted the foil off the plates, letting the steam waft out. "Steak, seasoned roasted potato bites and asparagus."

Claire immediately began to eat and groan appreciatively, "God Tim, this is so good. You need to always cook for me."

Tim laughed, "If it'll keep you fed, I'll do my best."

As they ate, conversation flowed in spurts, but they shared heated looks that encouraged them both to eat faster. When Claire had finished eating, Tim took her plate and turned the music up slightly, holding out his hand, "Would you care to dance?" he asked with a ghost of a smile.

Claire smiled softly and nodded, taking his hand and letting herself be pulled to her feet. Tim pulled her close and wrapped his arm around her waist, dancing her in a smooth waltz. "Pretty smooth for a guy who said that he didn't know how to dance" Claire teased softly.

Tim chuckled softly, "I had a good teacher." He spun her suddenly and then tugged her backwards against his chest, his lips coming to brush against her neck, whispering, "You look amazing in that dress, I've been thinking about you all day."

Claire's body thrummed with pleasure at Tim's words and touch. When he twirled her around to face him, her body fit snugly against his, her breath caught in her chest. Heat grew between them as they swayed and Claire gripped Tim's shoulder hard, leaning up to kiss him.

Tim pulled her closer, his hand cupping her bottom as his other hand wound through her curls, the scent of lilacs enveloping him. He felt like he was drowning in her, her kisses set his body and mind on fire.

Claire pulled away and panted, her fingers gripping Tim's shoulders tightly. He ran his hand lightly over her cheek and kissed her softly before pulling back, "There's something I want to tell you Claire."

Claire nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, waiting. Tim closed his eyes and a look of fear or nerves, Claire wasn't sure which, ran over his face. Concern went through her and she touched his cheek softly, "Hey, whatever it is, you can tell me" she said, smiling softly at him.

Tim nodded, opening his eyes. Staring down into her beautiful trusting face, he almost lost his nerve.

Taking a shaking breath, he cupped her cheek and whispered, "I've never been able to love easily Claire. My family didn't make my life a good one, and when I was in the military, it wasn't much better. Raylan, Rachael and Art are the family I have, and they've been kinder to me than my own ever were. Until I met you."

Claire's heart clenched and her throat tightened with emotion as Tim spoke. "I've been with my fair share of women, and all of them left after seeing how messed up I am. I've treated you like shit more than once and you haven't run, you've come back and kicked my ass into fighting for myself. No one has done that for me before."

He swallowed hard and his voice became softer, "I'm not supposed to love you, but I do. I'm supposed to protect you, do my job, and ignore how amazing you are. But I can't. I can't deny how you make me feel, and I can't deny that I love you. Not anymore."

Claire felt a ripple of shock go through her at his words. She had never expected this. Her fingers trembled against his chest and she sucked in a shaky breath before speaking. "I never imagined when I came here from Hawaii that my life would change so drastically. I never imagined that I would meet someone like you, someone who would make me feel so much."

She leaned up and kissed Tim softly, feeling their hearts beating rapidly together. Pulling away slightly she smiled and whispered, "I love you too."

Tim shook his head, smiling, "I just have no idea what to do about it" he whispered.

Claire grinned, "Neither do I. For now, let's do this" she said, running her hands over his chest, nudging her hips into his with a low noise in her throat.

Tim's eyes drifted half shut at the sensation, and his hands gripped her tighter as his hips pushed back against hers, his arousal growing. Claire slowly unbuttoned his shirt, running her hands over his bare chest underneath, marveling as his muscles flexed beneath her fingers.

She gently pushed the shirt off and onto the floor before taking his hand and leading him to the bedroom. When she pushed open the door, she found that Tim had lit candles on his dresser, bathing the room in warm light.

Smiling, she drew Tim to her and kissed him, her fingers winding through his hair as she pushed him back towards the bed. When his knees hit the bed, Tim sank down, pulling Claire onto his lap, her knees gripping his waist tightly.

Tim tugged on her hair, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss, his other hand sliding up her thigh to slip beneath her dress and touch her warmth through the fabric of her underwear. When his fingers began to swirl and tease her clit, Claire gasped against Tim's lips.

Tim brushed kisses across Claire's lips and down her neck as he brushed his fingers across her clit, sending pulses of pleasure through her, leaving her gasping softly.

"Tim…yes…oh Tim!" she cried out softly, her hips swiveling down against his hand, her heart racing as Tim continued to tease her. A few moments later Tim pulled his hand away from her warmth and reached up to untie her dress.

He pushed her dress down her arms, slowly revealing her body to his hungry gaze. Her dress flew to the floor and Tim made a low rumbling noise in his throat when her body was fully exposed, the red bra and panties barely concealing her body.

Claire rolled her hips into Tim's and leaned in, kissing him hard, nipping at his lower lip, her fingernails dragging across his scalp. Tim groaned and gripped her hip, grinding his now painful erection up against her.

He wanted to bury himself deep inside her, hear her moan his name; watch her face as she came. With a groan he flipped her over onto her back and stood, shedding his pants quickly before kneeling over her.

Claire ran her hand down his chest and across his hip to reach his erection, grasping it firmly, smirking when Tim groaned, his knees shuddering. She began stroking him, pulling hard like she knew he liked, and felt herself grow wetter at his moans.

After a few minutes Tim pushed her hands away and grasped her thigh, tugging her leg to the side before leaning down and running his tongue over her, gripping her tighter when she writhed in pleasure.

As he continued to flick his tongue in and out of her, swirling around her clit, Claire moaned and gripped the bedsheets, her back arching. "Fuck Tim! Oh fuck…right there…don't stop" she begged.

Tim continued, driving her closer to orgasm, her body arching hard as she cried out, "God Tim…I'm so close…Oh!" She felt the orgasm clench and flutter, sending waves of pleasure through every part of her body. As it fired through her system she felt Tim kiss her thigh, nipping the skin gently.

After a few moments her breathing slowed and Tim knelt above her, pushing a lock of hair out of her face. Claire tilted her head back as he kissed her, gently tugging his hip down to hers, gasping softly as his erection rubbed against her orgasm sensitive flesh.

Gripping his hair she kissed him fiercely until they both felt breathless. "I want you inside of me" Claire panted, rubbing against him.

Tim wrapped his hands around her hips and flipped her on top of him, lifting her to sink down slowly on his length. Her hands clenched on his chest, digging in as skin met skin, warmth enveloped Tim, and her body fisted around him.

Claire moved, unable to stay still, and increased the pace, drawing gasps and moans from both of them. Tim watched as her breasts rose and fell with each thrust, her chest flushed with pleasure. His hands gripped her waist tightly and he thought briefly how he would trade his guns forever if it meant he could touch Claire like this for the rest of his life.

Tim's hands trailed up her body to cup her breasts and run his thumbs over her nipples, sending shocks of pleasure through her. Claire let out a whine and increased her pace, her head dropping forward to meet Tim's, their kiss stealing the air from both of their lungs.

Tim thrust up hard against her, groaning as she leaned back, the angle increasing his ability to hit deep within her. They moved as one, Tim snapping his hips up to fill her, Claire coming down and rocking her hips, feeling every inch of Tim deep inside her.

"Fuck Tim! You're so good…oh god…just like that..yes!" she cried out, dragging her nails across his chest as he thrust up harder, hitting her gspot, making her ache with pleasure.

Claire snaked a hand down and began to finger her clit, gasping in pleasure as she thrust against Tim. Tim groaned at the sight and moved faster, watching as she fell apart on top of him, "Fuck yea baby, come on" he gasped.

Sweat trickled between Claire's breasts and she felt like her whole body was on fire with pleasure.

She could feel her orgasm building again and pressed harder on her clit, moaning louder as she and Tim moved against each other. Tim sat up and pulled her hard down against him, thrusting up as she came down, eliciting a loud gasp from her.

He continued to thrust up, gasping out, "I'm yours Claire…yours…"

Claire whined as her orgasm built to a tipping point and came crashing down, her limbs shuddering. She rubbed harder on her clit and moaned as Tim thrust into her, "Yours Tim…I'm yours…" she gripped his shoulders hard, leaning down to press a breathless kiss to his neck and shoulder, biting him and sucking on his skin as she came.

Moments later as Tim thrust into her roughly; he came, gasping her name. "Claire…I love you Claire" he gasped.

Claire breathed heavily and leaned down to kiss him, "I love you too."

She sat atop him for a few more moments, her body thrumming with pleasure. When she rolled off him she stayed close, tucking herself into his side, nuzzling his neck. "That was definitely something special" she murmured.

Tim nodded, brushing a piece of hair out of her face, "I'll say so." He studied her for a moment and then asked gently, "Are you sure about tomorrow? It's going to be dangerous."

Claire nodded, "I know. But the police are aware of the situation, and you guys will be there…I'm sure I'll be ok." She ran a hand over his shoulder and chest, where she had left marks and grinned, "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

Tim shook his head, "You'll have to try harder than that darlin" he murmured with a slight drawl. He ran a hand over her hip where he could see imprints from his hands gripping her. "Did I hurt you?" he asked.

Claire shook her head, "No, it felt good. I promise I would say something if you were too rough…"she nipped at his shoulder, "You weren't. You'll have to try harder darlin" she drawled, echoing him.

They lay together, teasing and talking softly for awhile before they grew hungry. Tim went to the kitchen to grab dessert, peach pie. As Claire reclined against his chest eating pie, Tim felt nothing but calm and happy.

No anxiety, nothing that would trigger his PTSD…nothing. Only happiness.


	14. Blood on my Name

_**AN: Hello my dearest readers! I'm sorry it's been so long since I wrote a new chapter. I've been busy with work, and my grandmother passed away recently, so I was travelling and just wasn't in the mood for writing. But, things are a little better now, and I've got a little inspiration for this chapter from a great song I heard recently, "Blood on my name" by The Brothers Bright. So definitely give that a listen and please review to let me know what you think! **_

* * *

Later that evening Claire rose from the bed where Tim lay sleeping peacefully. After dressing quietly she leaned over and kissed his brow softly, smiling when his hand snaked out from under the covers to wrap around her waist, casually resting on her bottom. "I have to go. I need to be up early and I have to get ready for this heist tomorrow" she whispered.

Tim tugged hard at her waist, pulling her off balance until she fell onto the bed, half on top of him. He smirked and sat up, the sheet falling around his waist to reveal the firmly muscled torso she loved to touch. Her hands naturally went to his shoulders as his went to her waist, drawing her close. Tim's eyes were sleepy and warm as he smiled at her, "Just be safe. Don't turn your back on Boyd. Got it?" he murmured.

Claire nodded, smiling at him before leaning to kiss him. After a moment she pulled away and brushed a kiss against his shoulder, "Get some rest. I'll call you before we leave." Tim nodded and watched as she walked out of his bedroom, worried. He knew that the local police were aware of the heist and that the Marshals would be providing tactical response in case things got messy...but he still had a sick feeling in his stomach at the idea of Claire as part of a violent crime.

* * *

Claire carefully laid out her outfit for the next day and then curled the wig, spraying it with hairspray before setting it aside. She had taken the 9mm from her father's safe and carefully loaded it before setting it aside with the baseball bat. Tim had told her if she used it, she could be arrested, and the Marshals couldn't help her. She had responded that she would only use it if Boyd put other people in danger.

She hoped she wouldn't have to.

* * *

The next morning dawned cold and grey, snow falling slowly. Claire was dressed in skinny jeans, a tank top under a baggy sweater, and combat boots. Her hair was snugly secured by the cap that would hold her wig in place, and her face was changed with clever makeup, making her appear older and haggard. With a ballcap on top of the wig and aviators to cover her eyes, Claire looked less like herself and more like a regular citizen of Harlan-down on her luck, tired, and worn.

Tucking the gun into her waistband, she let her sweater fall over it and shrugged a jacket over top. Grabbing the baseball bat and burner phone, she walked downstairs to where Danny was waiting. Spinning in a circle she grinned, "How do I look?" she asked.

Danny grinned and shook his head, "Like cousin Carla."

Claire laughed, "Perfect." Tossing Danny the car keys, they walked out to the garage and pulled away from the house. Danny dropped her three blocks from Boyd's bar, waving at her as she walked away. They had agreed it was safer for her to be seen being dropped off by Danny close by, as though she were a hooker, so that when she was seen going to Boyds, and later at the robbery, it wouldn't raise suspicions for her to have been seen in the car. For her to have been driving the car- that would have been too much.

Claire pounded on the door to the bar and grinned when Boyd opened it, his gun pointing at her. She tapped it with her finger, "Try pointing that somewhere else darlin."

Boyd stared at her a moment and then laughed, "Why Claire, I hardly recognized you! Get that little behind of yours in here!" Claire grinned and walked inside, taking her sunglasses off.

"I know I was supposed to meet you there, but if I took my motorcycle or the rental car and someone got the plates, we'd be blown. We need to do this smart, right?" she said, knowing that if Boyd was half the criminal he was supposed to be, he should have thought of these things already.

Boyd nodded, "You are correct Miss Bennett. Which is why I have my two other men already at the hospital, posing as repair men for the bay doors. Somehow, last night, they malfunctioned. Imagine that!" he gave her a triumphant grin.

Claire smiled, "Imagine that." She waved a hand between them, "So now it's up to you and I to go and jack the truck?" she asked.

Boyd nodded, "I'll overpower the driver, then take out the cameras, then the drugs. We get out fast, clean and quiet."

Claire nodded, she liked the plan, despite it being a crime. Looking at her phone she shrugged, "We should get going. The truck is going to be there in twenty minutes."

Boyd smiled, "Follow me." He waved a hand and Claire followed him out the back to an old pickup truck. She slid in beside him and put her sunglasses back on, laying her baseball bat across her lap. Twelve minutes later when they pulled up in front of the hospital, Claire left it in the truck and hopped out. "I'll see you at the doors" she said softly.

Boyd nodded and gave her a hard look, "I'd better Claire. For Danny's sake." Claire nodded and turned away, her hands trembling with anger. She entered the hospital and smiled at the nurses, well aware they knew who she was, and why she was here.

Making her way to the loading bay, she kept her head down and avoided notice until she saw a local police officer stationed outside the doors. Pausing, she ducked back around the corner and took a deep breath, wondering what the hell was going on. The police weren't supposed to be here. Deciding to take a risk she stepped back around the corner and walked up to the officer, painting a frightened, worried look on her face, pretending to be out of breath.

"Officer, I'm so glad I found you! You have got to get to the entrance of the hospital quick! There is a man there, threatenin one of the nurses! He hit her! Please, you have to go now!" she pleaded as she tugged on his arm, pulling him down the hallway.

The man frowned at her and pulled back, "Ma'am, I haven't heard anything from security...are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.

Claire sighed. This guy was going nowhere. _Fuck. _Looking up at the clock on the wall, she sighed. The truck was here. If she didn't get rid of this guy, the heist wasn't going to go down safely. She smiled up at him brightly and grabbed his arm, shoving him against the wall, pulling her gun out.

"Officer I'm truly sorry about this, but I'm going to need you to keep your mouth shut and come with me." He stared at her for a minute and then nodded, stepping away from the wall when she tugged on his arm. She quickly led him over to a storage closet and shoved him inside. Keeping the gun up she asked, "Do I need to knock you out and tie you up, or can I just tie you up and leave you here?"

The officer nodded, "It would be better if you didn't knock me out. Showing less violence is good with whatever you have planned."

Claire nodded and pointed to the duct tape, "Wrap it around your ankles, then hold your wrists out." When he did as she said, she tucked her gun away and tied his hands up, surprised he didn't try to fight her. Stepping back, she helped him sit and smiled, "Thank you for not fighting. I promise no one will get hurt."

The officer nodded, "The Marshals said someone was hitting the hospital today. They told us to stay away, but my wife works here. I didn't want her to get hurt."

Claire nodded, "I'm not going to let that happen. Who is your wife?" she asked.

He smiled, "Rosa. She's a nurse."

Claire crouched down and touched his arm softly, "I've met her. She helped treat my brother. I wouldn't let anything happen to her or anyone else. I'm helping the Marshals take down the man who is hitting the hospital. I'm sorry I had to put you in here."

The officer nodded, "It's ok. Get going."

Claire nodded and stood, smiling sadly at him before shutting the door. She ran down the hall before bursting through the loading bay doors, coming face to face with Boyd and the two other men. She grinned, "Better late than never?" she quipped.

Boyd frowned, "Why are you late?" he asked.

"There was a cop in the hall. I took care of it." Claire said.

Boyd nodded, "Good, we took care of the cameras. Let's get to the drugs and get outta here."

They moved as a group out to the truck and pulled the doors open wider and began pulling boxes of drugs off the truck, hauling them over to the two vans that the other two men were driving and loaded them up quickly and efficiently.

As Claire lifted the last box she heard a commotion towards the front of the truck and then felt the truck lurch. Stepping off the truck, she came around the side and dropped the box, drawing her gun, pointing it at one of the other men who was currently strangling the truck driver.

"Stop. Right now." She commanded.

He glanced over his shoulder and shook his head, "We can't leave witnesses!" he shouted.

Claire stepped forward and shouted, "Boyd! Get your ass over here now!" To the man she firmly ordered, "Let him go or I will shoot you."

Boyd stepped around the truck and saw the situation, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Jimmy, what the hell are you doin?" he yelled.

"B-but Boyd, you said..." Jimmy faltered and his hands slacked on the man's neck, allowing him to suck in air.

Boyd shook his head, "I didn't tell you to do this Jimmy."

Claire sighed, "Jimmy that would have made this felony murder. If we got caught, we could be given the death penalty." She watched as the implications of that sunk in for the man. Jimmy backed away from the driver his hands shaking.

Jimmy turned to Boyd, eyes wide, "I'm sorry Boyd...I'm sorry."

Boyd smiled, "It's ok Jimmy. Why don't I drive back with you?" he offered softly. Jimmy nodded and Boyd turned to Claire, tossing his truck keys to her, "Take my truck back to the bar. I'll see you there."

She nodded and turned, tucking her gun away to check on the driver. The men finished loading the drugs and drove away in the vans, leaving her with the driver and the empty truck.

The driver was barely conscious, his breathing ragged. Claire winced, Jimmy had done some serious damage. She pulled his eyelid back and thanked God his pupil responded to light. She debated staying until the police and Marshals arrived, but knew the whole heist and her standing with Boyd would be ruined if she did. Instead she pulled her regular phone out and called Tim.

When he picked up she kept it short, "The driver is in bad condition. I have to go. Get here now." She hung up and pulled off her scarf, wiping down all the areas that she had touched to the best of her ability, and then re-entered the hospital, taking a different route until she exited through the side and found Boyd's truck. Quickly unlocking it she slid in and sped away, driving quickly but not erratically to the bar.

Sliding out of the truck she locked it and then ran into the bar, sitting down on the couch in Boyd's back room, her hands shaking. Long minutes passed, the bar silent until the quiet was cut by her phone ringing. She jumped slightly and pulled both her phones out.

It was the burner rigning. Boyd was calling.

She answered quickly. "Hello?"

"Claire. I need you to come to the address I'm going to send you. I just dropped the van off, and I need a clean pickup. You got it?" he asked.

Claire nodded, "I'm on my way as soon as you send it."

"Good." The line went dead and a moment later an address was texted to her. Claire searched for it on her map app and found that it was an abandoned warehouse ten miles from her location. Running out to the truck she unlocked it and quickly pulled away from the bar, driving the route provided by the app.

Pulling up in front of the warehouse she smiled when Boyd hopped inside. He waved, "Go."

Her stomach knotted at his tense demeanor. He wasn't telling her something...Jimmy wasn't with him. Glancing over at him she smiled warily, "Where's Jimmy?" she asked hesitantly.

Boyd frowned and stared out the window. "Jimmy is no longer with us."

Claire sucked in air between her teeth and shook her head. _Fuck. _This was so bad. When they pulled up to the bar she turned the truck off and slid out, tossing Boyd the keys before walking inside and pulling her wig off. Turning to face Boyd she froze, facing herself at the end of his gun.

"I told Jimmy to take care of the driver. You interfered and confused that boy. I had to kill him, and now my crew is short a man. What do you propose I do about that?" Boyd asked softly.

Claire sighed and stepped forward until the gun was pressed against her chest, "I propose you use your goddamn brain. You would have committed felony murder, just like I said. That's a stupid rookie move. Now you've killed a member of your crew because **you **fucked up, not me. So you need to find a new one? That's your problem, not mine. There are plenty of criminals in Harlan. Call one of em up. Now I'll tell you this one. last. time. Get your gun out of my face." She glared at him until the gun lowered, her breath coming a little easier.

Boyd smiled crookedly, "You remind me of Eva. She don't take no shit from me either. Well, you're right. There are plenty of criminals in Harlan, I'll certainly be able to find someone else."

The door to the bar burst open and the other man from their crew came in, looking about wildly until his eyes rested on Boyd, rage plain on his face. Pointing at Boyd he shouted, "You! I found Jimmy's body in the ditch where you left him! You traitor!"

Boyd stepped forward and raised a hand, "Now Johnny, let's talk about this..."

Johnny shook his head, "No! You killed my brother!" He pulled a gun out and pointed it at Boyd, "You gonna die for what you did!" he shouted.

Claire's eyes widened and without a second thought she lunged, pushing Boyd out of the way, just as Johnny fired. Claire shouted, feeling the bullet tear into her body. As she crumpled to the ground, she saw Boyd raise his gun and shoot Johnny through the head. She flinched and turned away, looking down at her torso.

Her head swam when she saw the blood spreading from the bullet wound in her abdomen. She couldn't have let Boyd get shot though, he had to be taken down by the Marshals, he had to pay for his crimes.

Turning to look up at Boyd she called out weakly, "Boyd...Boyd."

He spun and saw her, laying on the ground, blood slowly pooling beneath her. His face paled and he ran to her side. Dropping his gun beside her he knelt and took her hand, "W-what? What do I do?" Boyd asked, sounding scared.

Claire gripped his hand tightly, getting shot hurt so much worse than she had ever thought. Taking a shaky breath she tried to smile reassuringly. Based on the look on Boyd's face, it didn't seem like she was succeeding. "Drive me to the hospital. Drop me off in the ER bay. Drive away. Take the tags off your truck."

Boyd nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and another under her knees, lifting her easily, carrying her out to the truck. He quickly removed the plates on his truck and then drove like a bat out of hell to the hospital they had just robbed.

As they drove Claire watched through hooded eyes as the town zip by, her vision blurring and fading. The pain was overwhelming...all she could think was that she wanted to be back to that morning with Tim, in his bed, safe and warm.

Except she was cold...so cold...she slid into darkness...cold, deep darkness...


	15. Recovery

_**AN: Hey all, hope you weren't too worried that I had killed off Claire! She's alive and sort-of well. I hope you enjoy, please review and let me know what you think, I love hearing from you! **_

* * *

Tim sat in the waiting area, surrounded by police and other Marshals. He had already been on his way to the hospital to assist the police with the mop up when his phone had started ringing. He had answered, and had been informed by hospital staff that Claire had been shot, dumped at the ER entrance, and was in critical condition.

Already only minutes away, he accelerated and called Raylan. "Raylan. Claire was shot."

"What tha fuck?!" Raylan shouted.

"I dunno. Just get here. Bring everybody." Tim had hung up and drove faster, flying into the parking lot a few minutes later. He had sprinted across the parking lot and into the hospital, running up the stairs to the third floor, pacing a pattern into the rug until he eventually wore off some of his nervous energy.

Now, he sat, waiting for Raylan and the rest of their team to get there. It should only be another hour till they got there, but it seemed like an eternity.

He ran a hand through his hair and stared at the tv blankly, a ball of fear and panic knotted in his stomach.

"Tim!"

His head whipped around at the sound of Danny's voice. He stood and walked quickly over to the older man. Danny swung, throwing a punch at Tim, "You were supposed to keep her safe!" Danny shouted. Tim let the punch connect, didn't flinch from it, he felt the pain, let it sink in.

Tim turned back to face Danny, his eye swelling, blood running down his brow, "I know. But I couldn't be here this morning; her cover with Boyd would have been blown."

Danny glared at him, "You think I give a fuck? You should have found a way to be here. She could die." His voice was poisonous and cold.

Tim glared back, "I am well aware that she could die Danny. I am trying not to go out and hunt down Boyd and kill him, because I know that we want to prosecute him. So don't lecture me about keeping her safe. I'm doing everything I can to keep her safe, and respect her wishes."

The men glared at each other for a long moment until the silence grew to be too much. They broke away from each other, pacing for a moment until Tim turned and sat. A moment later Danny sat beside him, sighing heavily.

"Have the doctors said anything about how she is yet?" he asked softly.

Tim shook his head, "Not yet. I don't think they would talk to me anyway. I'm not family."

Danny nodded, "I'll go ask the nurse if we can get an update soon." Tim nodded and watched as Danny went to talk to the nurses, talking quietly with them for a few minutes. When he came back he sat down, looking unhappy.

"They said the doctor probably wouldn't be able to come out of surgery and give an update for another hour. We'll just have to wait." Danny sighed and shook his head.

The time ticked by slowly, both men blankly watching the TV, glancing at their phones, waiting.

Eventually Raylan and Rachel showed up, joining up with Tim and Danny at the hospital. Rachel quickly embraced Tim, holding him close for a long moment. Tim clung to her, needing the comfort.

When they broke apart, he turned to Raylan who surprised him by also hugging him, for a shorter amount of time, admittedly, but still fiercely, and full of emotion.

Rachel hugged Danny as well, and when Tim and Raylan turned to them she smiled at Tim softly, "Have you guys heard anything about how she's doing?" she asked.

Tim and Danny shook their heads, Danny speaking, "The nurses said the doctor wouldn't be able to come out of surgery for awhile longer."

Rachel nodded, "Okay. Danny, can we talk until then, you and me?"she asked quietly. He nodded and they moved to sit together, talking quietly, Rachel taking notes.

Tim and Raylan sat together, going over the last two days, and how Claire might have ended up shot.

"Talk me through it Tim, what was the plan for today?" Raylan asked.

Tim nodded, "She met Boyd at the bar, disguised. They were to go to the hospital together, disable the armored truck and its driver. They would then steal the drugs and then move them somewhere else. As far as we knew, it went well."

Tim sighed, "That was until the police called and told me that one of theirs had ignored our directive and had shown up here, and a woman had overpowered him and locked him in a utility closet. I spoke to him when I first got here; he said she was the nicest criminal he had ever met. She said she was working with us to take down a member of her crew. He believed her and didn't fight back." Tim smiled mirthlessly.

"Of course she was kind. Even pretending to be a criminal, she was herself." He shook his head, "After that the plan was to divide up the drugs and get away clean. I don't know if that happened. I don't know what actually happened. She has to live. She has to Raylan." He gave his friend and partner a desperate look.

Raylan nodded, "I know Tim. I know." He patted his friends' shoulder and leaned back, sighing deeply. The silence grew, enveloping them, Tim tapping his foot anxiously.

After what seemed like an eternity, the bay doors to the operating wing burst open and a doctor came out, pulling his mask down. Seeing their group he smiled and walked over. "I presume you're the Marshals looking after the young woman I have down in surgery? Miss Bennett?" he asked.

Tim leapt to his feet, Danny close by. "Yes. This is her brother. Can you give us an update on her?" he asked, desperate.

The doctor nodded, "Of course. Why don't we sit?" The men nodded and joined the doctor in sitting.

The doctor sighed and then continued, "Well, Miss Bennett was shot in the lower right sector of her abdomen. The bullet splintered against her ribs, sending pieces of it into her abdomen. We've repaired the damage to her organs; part of her intestinal track had to be removed, so she's going to need a lot of rest. Two of her ribs are broken. She had some heavy bleeding when we first got in there, so she had a big transfusion, but she's holding steady now. My team is closing and getting her to recovery now. She'll have to stay here for at least a week for recovery. After that, she'll need to rest at home, but be back for therapy. We'll go over the details more when she's in recovery and awake to hear them herself. Okay?" He smiled gently at Tim and Danny.

They nodded and the doctor smiled before getting up and heading back through the bay doors. Danny sank down in his chair, covering his face with his hands, his body shaking with sobs. The three Marshals stood and moved away, grouping together and talking in hushed tones.

"We're hearing that there were shots fired at Boyd's bar. The truck that tossed her out, it's looking like it was Boyd's" Rachel whispered.

Raylan nodded, "Local police have reported a body in a ditch, they've identified him as Jimmy Boggs, one of the men that ran in Boyd's crew. They're heading to Boyd's bar now to follow up on those shots fired, and on Claire. Tim, you need to go back to the apartment and stay there. Rachel and I will follow up with the locals on this, okay?" he murmured.

Tim shook his head, "I want to help."

Raylan nodded, "I know man. But if we want to get Boyd, we have to make sure nothing screws up the case. It has to be above board. Okay?" he spoke softly.

Tim groaned and ran a hand through his hair, nodding. "Fine, but I want updates. Or I come and find you."

Raylan nodded, "I understand. Go try and get some rest."

Tim nodded and said goodbye to both of his friends, stopping briefly at Danny's side. "Hey man, if you need anything, let me know."

Danny nodded and didn't look up. Tim shrugged his coat back on and walked out to his SUV, driving back to his apartment.

When he collapsed on his couch, the silence of the apartment overwhelmed him. All he could think of was Claire, the last time he had seen her, leaving his bed, her face soft with affection.

He was terrified she wasn't going to make it….he didn't know how to live without her, and he was just realizing it now.

* * *

Claire lay in her hospital bed, an oxygen canula tucked into her nose, gently streaming air into her lungs. Her chest rose and fell lightly as she slept, her eyes moving occasionally behind her lids.

The monitors surrounding her registered steady vitals, making the occasional noise. The door to her room opened and a nurse entered, taking her vitals, checking a number of things, making notes on her sheet.

Pausing, the woman came back to her bedside and took her hand, smiling softly. "Thank you for keeping my husband safe Miss Bennett. You rest and get better now." Rosa smiled and brushed Claire's hair out of her face.

When she left, she smiled at her husband, stationed outside Claire's door. They had agreed to protect and care for Claire after what she had done for their family and how she had put her life on the line for the hospital.

So far Boyd had made no attempt to come and see her, but if he did, he was to be taken into custody and questioned. They didn't have enough to hold him for her shooting, but they would certainly try.

For now, it was the jobs of the police and the medical staff to keep Claire safe and healthy.

* * *

The clock read midnight, and the halls of the hospital were quiet, patients were sleeping and the nurses were catching up on paperwork.

In room 310, Claire stirred, moaning softly when her wound pulled and ached. Her eyes fluttered open, then drifted closed, pain washing over her body. Her hand lifted weakly from her side, knocking against the buttons on the railing.

Her fingers searched until she found the call button, pushing it with a small whimper. She lay with her eyes closed, waiting for someone to come for only a few moments. Her door swung open and a voice called out softly, "Miss Bennett? You awake?"

Claire sighed, groaning weakly at the pain that shot through her when she breathed. The nurse came over quickly, hearing her.

"Alright now, easy. It's Rosa. I'm not sure you remember me. But everything is going to be ok. You're in pain, so I'm going to ask you a few questions, and we'll figure out how bad it is. The doctor will be here soon." Rose had paged the doctor the moment she realized the call was coming from Claire's room.

Rose took Claire's hand softly in hers and smiled down at the younger woman, "Okay Claire. Can you open your eyes for me?" she asked, encouraging her softly. When Claire's eyes fluttered open, she nodded, smiling.

"Good job sweetie. Now can you tell me, does it hurt when you breathe?" Rosa asked.

Claire barely nodded, "B-but it's not my breathing….it's my…incision." She whispered, breathing heavily.

Rosa nodded, "Okay that's good, no tightness in your chest, no wheezing?" she asked.

Claire shook her head no. Rosa nodded, "Okay, last question. What's your pain level?" she asked gently.

Claire sighed and winced, her eyes staying closed this time. She lay quiet for a moment and then whispered, "8".

Rosa nodded, "Okay, just about what I thought. I'll recommend a morphine drip to the doctor. He should be here any minute. Let me get you some ice chips. I'll be right back."

Claire barely nodded and waited for her to return, her body aching and her head pounding. A few moments later she heard two sets of feet entering the room and then the sound of a stool being wheeled to her side.

"Miss Bennett, are you still awake?" she heard a man ask gently.

Claire sighed and cracked her eyes open, "I'm awake" she whispered hoarsely. She turned her gaze to the doctor and attempted to smile.

The doctor smiled at her, "I hear you're having some bad pain in general and especially when you take deep breaths, is that right?" he asked.

Claire nodded, wincing. "Yes."

He smiled, "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm going to have Rosa set you up with a morphine drip. For now, I want you to get some rest, and in the morning I think we'll have some people by to visit you. Does that sound good?" he asked.

Claire nodded, "Thank you" she whispered.

The doctor nodded and reached out to squeeze her hand gently, "You don't need to thank me. You did an amazing thing and it's my honor to care for you. You just rest easy now."

Claire closed her eyes, a tear leaking out, and nodded. The doctor smiled and squeezed her hand again before setting it down gently. He and Rosa stepped out to discuss treatment for a few moments before Rosa returned to set Claire up with a morphine drip.

As she worked, Rosa chattered softly to Claire about her kids and her life. Claire found herself smiling, her pain glazed eyes following Rosa around the room. When the IV went into her arm she barely flinched; when the morphine began to slip into her system a few moments later, she sighed, relieved.

Rosa turned the lock on the morphine drip and handed Claire the control button. "Okay you know how this works. Press it when you need more. You should be good for at least 5 hours, but if you're not, hit the button. Hit the call button if you need anything. Your ice is on your tray, which, here you go, is closer. Okay?" she asked, smiling.

Claire nodded, smiling, her gaze hazed with relief from the morphine. Rosa nodded and waved, backing out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

Claire sighed, tucking her hands beneath her blanket, shifting into the pillow and falling asleep a few minutes later.

* * *

Tim rose early the next morning, calling the hospital to get an update on Claire. At first they didn't want to release her information to him, but when he revealed he was her handler with the Marshals service, they quickly informed him that she had woken the night before, and was sleeping now, but that visiting hours began in thirty minutes.

Since he was law enforcement, they would allow him to come earlier. He quickly thanked them and hung up, grabbing his car keys and leaving for the hospital. Ten minutes later he strode into the hospital and made his way up to room 310, peering into the small window.

He could see that Claire was still asleep, and looked exhausted, small, and weak. A pit formed in his stomach and he turned away, walking down the hall to the nurse's desk. He smiled politely, "Excuse me, is there some place in the hospital I can get a cup of coffee?" he asked.

The woman nodded and explained that the cafeteria was down on the first floor and he would be able to get a cup there. Tim thanked her and quickly made his way down to grab a cup along with a blueberry muffin.

He stood back at Claire's door and took a deep breath before pushing the door open, walking in quietly. He sat down next to her bed, sipping the coffee and picking at the muffin. He had been severely tempted last night to drink until he couldn't feel the pain and worry and guilt, but he knew that Claire would kick his ass just for thinking it.

Instead he had chosen to bug Raylan every hour, texting him to check on the case, demanding to know what they had found at Boyd's bar. Raylan had informed him that when they had gotten to the bar, Boyd had been there, waiting for them, pleasant as could be, and the place smelled like bleach.

They had looked around but couldn't find any signs of blood or gunshots, nothing they could use to take him down. Boyd had seemed uneasy and worried, but still used his silver tongue to play it off.

When informed of Claire's condition, he had seemed genuinely upset, asking if she was alive. When they had told him that she was, Boyd had seemed visibly relieved.

Raylan had told Tim that the driver from the heist was still here at the hospital, unconscious. He had been strangled, and had been deprived of oxygen for long enough that the doctors didn't think he was going to make it without brain damage.

Tim was worried about Claire that with her injury and recovery would come her departure. He couldn't even blame her if she did want to go. In Hawaii she wouldn't be forced to commit crimes with the likes of Boyd Crowder, or get shot, or be in a dead end relationship with a man who couldn't commit to her.

He sighed deeply and ran a hand over his face, shaking his head.

"Why so serious?" he heard Claire ask softly, her voice hoarse.

His head popped up and he leaned forward in his chair, reaching out to take her hand gently. "Just thinking about what I'm gonna do to Boyd for this" he murmured softly.

Claire smiled tiredly at him, reaching out to touch his cheek. "What _we're _going to do you mean" she said quietly.

Tim raised a brow, "Really? I thought you'd want to go home after this." He waited to hear what she had to say, his heart pounding.

Claire sighed, "I will, when it's all done. When we have enough evidence to take Boyd down, I'll go home. If you need me to come back to testify, I will. But for now, I'm staying. Is that ok?" she asked softly.

Tim laughed brokenly. "Of course it's ok." He closed his eyes and brought her hand up to his mouth, kissing her knuckles softly, inhaling the soft scent of her skin. He had been so scared she was going to die.

A shudder ran through him at the thought. Claire's hand touched his hair lightly, soothing him. Her light touch broke something that had been holding back the fear and worry inside him and he began to cry softly, his shoulders shaking.

He leaned over Claire's bed, holding her hand tightly, crying, and letting out every ugly emotion that had been pent up for weeks, months, years.

Claire ran her fingers through Tim's hair, silent tears running down her face as she watched this strong, capable, loving man fall apart. In that moment she loved him more than she ever had before.

Eventually Tim's tears slowed and quieted. He wiped his face and took a deep breath before looking up at her, bashful. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cry all over you like that."

Claire smiled and tugged on his hand, "Come here."

Tim gave her a wary look, "Won't that hurt you?" he asked.

Claire shook her head, "Just move slow."

Tim nodded and stood, easing himself down on the bed beside her, helping her to ease aside and then curl slightly into his arms. When she was comfortably settled there, she smiled up at him, her hand resting on his cheek.

"Don't you ever worry about showing me your emotions Tim. That means more to me than candles, flowers and candy ever could. Okay?" she said softly.

He nodded and turned to kiss her temple softly. "I love you" he murmured quietly.

Claire sighed and closed her eyes, smiling, "I love you too" she whispered.

They sat quietly for a long time until Claire grew uncomfortable and hit the button for a little morphine. As she dozed lightly in Tim's arms, he watched her sleep, so grateful she was alive and in his arms.

He was going to stop Boyd and find a way to be with Claire. He was done with this life of pain and anger. He wanted to be happy, to live in the kind of paradise that she had described, and to feel free.

Mostly, he wanted Claire.


	16. Pain and Recovery

_**AN: OMG guys it's been FOREVER since I updated and I'm so sorry for that! I've been busy wrapping up other stories and I am happy to be able to give this some love and attention! So this chapter is a little bit of filler-recovery, emotions, etc. But things will proceed as we move forward. I hope you all enjoy, please review and thank you as always for reading! xoxo**_

* * *

Tim dozed lightly, cradling a sleeping Claire in his arms. Visiting hours had just begun but he was the first to show up, and had gathered her in his arms, needing to feel her in his hands, feel her heart beating next to his to reassure himself of her presence.

The sun streamed through the blinds in the room, casting warm lines across the bed, easing into Claire's body, making her subconsciously smile and dream of the islands, sweet breezes, and white beaches.

The door to the room cracked open softly, rousing Tim instantly. His eyes locked on Danny who gave him a hard look for a moment before sighing and shaking his head, resigned. "Is she ok?" Danny whispered, hovering in the doorway.

Tim nodded, "She fell asleep about 30 minutes ago. She's got a morphine drip so she's pretty woozy." He felt Claire stir and craned his head to look down at her, smiling when he saw she was just snuggling into his side further.

He looked back up at Danny and whispered, "I think she's going to sleep awhile. She didn't sleep much last night according to the nurse."

Danny nodded and sighed, "I'll go grab a cup of coffee an somethin to eat. You want anythin?" he offered quietly.

Tim shook his head but smiled gratefully, "Thank you man."

Danny nodded briskly and left, shutting the door softly behind him. Tim looked back down at Claire, watching her sleep, looking at the dark bruise like circles under her eyes. She looked so fragile and weak. He wanted to hold onto her until she was whole again, safe and sound.

His phone buzzed and he grabbed it off the bedside table, quickly answering it when he saw it was Raylan. "What's up Raylan?" he whispered.

"Why you whispering man?" Raylan asked.

"Because I'm with Claire and she's sleepin!" Tim whispered back urgently. "Whadya want?" he asked.

Raylan scoffed, "Well I thought you'd want to know. There's an ATM across the street, and we were able to get the video off it."

Tim sat up slightly and sucked in a breath, his heart beating faster. "Tell me we got him" he whispered.

Raylan chuckled, "We got him carrying out a wounded Claire after Johnny Boggs goes into the bar and then later a number of suspicious black garbage bags. He took his license plate off his truck to hide when he dumped Claire. Johnny Boggs never comes back out."

Tim repressed the desire to fist pump and grinned, "Damn! We got him!" he hissed. "Tell me the AUSA is bringing charges and Claire doesn't need to do more."

Raylan sighed, "I think so. We're still working on the details, but that's what were lookin at. I'll let you know." He sighed again and then asked in a lighter tone, "How's our girl doing?"

Tim smiled softly, "She's good Raylan, she's sleeping right now. It's going to be another tough fight for her, one she didn't need. But she's a hell of a woman."

Raylan was silent for a moment and then smiled, "Sounds like you fell for her pretty hard there Tim."

Tim stared down at Claire who was stirring; her eyes fluttering, her fingers clutching his shirt as she flinched against the pain from her movements, and smiled at her. "I love her Raylan" he murmured.

Raylan's brows rose but he nodded, "Well, don't let Art know, he'll blow his top."

Tim laughed softly, "I know. We don't even know what to do about it man."

Raylan nodded, "Well, I'll be by later to see you guys. I'll have more details on the case then."

Tim nodded, "Seeya then man." He hung up and set the phone aside, smiling down at Claire who was now fully awake, wincing as she tried to stretch and sit up. Tim adjusted his arm on her shoulders and gently helped her sit up, pulling a pillow further up behind her head.

He moved to sit on the side of the bed and brushed her hair out of her face, smiling at her. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

Claire grimaced, "Like I got shot."

Tim laughed and ducked his head, nodding. "Okay, alright, that was a dumb question."

Claire nodded, "Maybe a little."

Time glanced back up and smiled, "But really, how bad is the pain?" he asked sincerely, his face lined with worry, despite the small smile playing at his lips.

Claire shrugged and then hissed, her eyes wincing shut. "Okay, not good" she muttered. Tim took her hand and murmured, "Why don't you take some more morphine?" he suggested.

Claire shook her head, "No. I need to be able to fight through the pain when they come get me up and walking."

Tim stared at her, hesitant. She was a medical professional, so maybe she knew more than he did…but it seemed like she needed the pain medication. "Are…are you sure?" he asked softly.

Her eyes popped open and she glared at him, "Yes! I'm sure!" Snatching her hand away, she tucked it into her lap and turned her head away, closing her eyes. Tim could see the pain in her face and didn't know what to do.

He stood and leaned down, kissing her cheek gently. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom" he murmured. Claire nodded, both of them ignoring the fact that there was a private bathroom in her room.

Tim strode out of her room and walked down the hallways to the cafeteria, looking for Danny. When he spotted the older man sitting at a table, absently picking at a plate of food, he quickly strode over.

Danny looked up at Tim's approach and frowned at the expression on the other man's face. When Tim sank into the chair across from him with a huff Danny raised a brow and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Tim shook his head, "Your sister. She's a goddamn pain in the ass" he muttered, wiping a hand over his face.

Danny stared at Tim before breaking out laughing, "Ha! What did she do ta ya now?" he asked.

Tim glared at Danny through his fingers and then sighed, rubbing his hand along the stubble on his chin, "Shit. She's being stubborn about her pain meds. She won't take more despite being in bad pain. She says she needs to learn to deal with the pain."

Tim shook his head, "Where the hell this stubborn streak came from, I dunno."

Danny grinned, "One time when we were kids she broke her arm an refused ta sit still with her cast. She would still climb trees; ride her bike, an act like nothin was wrong. She ended up exacerbatin the break an having to wear tha cast three weeks longer."

Tim sighed, "So she's just going to be a pain until it catches up to her."

Danny nodded and stood, "Come on man, le's go check on her." Tim looked chagrined but followed Danny up to Claire's room where they found her asleep again, curled into a fetal position.

Danny raised a brow at Tim, "Musta caught up to her" he quipped. Tim sighed and shook his head. "I'm going to meet up with my team. Let me know if she needs me."

Danny watched the younger man walk away, his shoulders set, his face lined with worry. Danny knew how much Tim loved Claire, but he also knew how stubborn his sister could be. She would push both of them to the point that their relationship would either be stronger or break.

Danny entered her room and sank into the uncomfortable vinyl chair, watching Claire sleep. She had sacrificed so much for him her whole life. He could remember when they were young and Claire would be working on her homework, her face crumpled in concentration as she worked on her biology.

He on the other hand had barely skated through biology and chemistry and most other classes in high school. His parents had long since written him off as a hopeless cause. To his surprise though, he had begun finding his homework sheets done, tucked into his backpack, his sister's gentle scrawl covering the pages.

He hadn't been able to believe she was helping him, silently, never telling their parents, still doing her own work, still laboring under their parents need to see her be perfect when their eldest child had failed them so thoroughly.

It shamed him deeply, angered him and forced him to decide whether to take her help and keep quiet, swallowing his pride, or to rip up the papers and continue to be the screw up his parents thought he was.

His decision was made when he got to school the next day and the teacher collected the homework while he was in the bathroom. Over the next few months his grades rose, until finally Claire stopped helping him entirely, leaving him to complete the work on his own.

His frustration returned, and instead of working on homework he went back to hanging out with friends, drinking and partying. His grades dropped and he barely graduated high school. His life had spiral from there into drugs, alcohol, and crime.

Looking at his sister now, at how she had nearly sacrificed her life for his, he couldn't help but feel that burn of shame again. He had let Claire down time and time again, and she never gave up on him. Instead she continued to help him, and now he needed to find a way to make sure Boyd paid for what he had done to her.

* * *

Tim slammed his car door and strode angrily up to the office, the long drive from Harlan to the Marshal's headquarters failing to have cooled his temper. When he walked into the bullpen and saw Raylan and Art arguing in the conference room he burst in, ignoring Rachel's waves to stop him.

Art rounded on Tim, "What the hell are you doin here? Aren't you supposed to be protectin our witness?" he demanded.

Tim glared back, "She's got her brother and the local police, she'll be fine for a few hours. I needed to come see the progress of the case myself. You need my statements to solidify it, right?" he snapped.

Art sighed and pinched his nose, "Boy, you are gonna kill me. Fine, let's get this done. You need to clear your shit up with that woman. I can't believe you slept with her."

Tim shot Raylan a look but Art just shook his head, "Nah, he didn't say nuthin. I know when my men art screwin shit up. You got the look of somebody who's royally screwin shit up. That only happens when you're screwin the witness."

Tim sighed, "Yea well, she'll be gone when the case is over Art. No more screwin shit up."

Art laughed wryly, "I doubt that son. Come on, let's go."

They sat down at the table and Tim gave his statement to Art. After they broke for lunch the AUSA came and took his statement again, going over each date and time meticulously until he was satisfied. Tim handed over his flash drive with his personal notes on the case and went to speak with Raylan privately.

He pulled his friend aside and ignored the glare Raylan was giving him. "What the hell is goin on with you Tim? You don't take chances like this. You don't act like me."

Tim sighed and shook his head, "I'll do what it takes to keep her safe. I knew he was dangerous from the start and I should have known better when he strangled her. But I let her keep going, and she almost died. So now I'm doing everything I can to take him down."

Raylan looked at the younger man and sighed, "Well, just don't get yourself killed. Or worse; fired."

Tim smiled wryly, "Sure man. I'm headin back. I'll talk to you later." Raylan nodded and watched Tim duck out of the building, his gaze fierce and determined.

"He's in trouble" Rachel's soft voice came from his side. Raylan nodded and glanced down at her, seeing the worry on her face. She frowned up at him, "You think he'll do something stupid?" she asked.

Raylan shrugged and pushed his hand through his hair, "I dunno. I've always counted on him to be the level one. She's got him all tangled up. Only going to get worse when she leaves."

Rachel looked deeply troubled and nodded, "That's what I thought too."

* * *

Claire sighed deeply and considered overdosing on her morphine, just so she wouldn't have to listen to Danny lecturing her. When she had woken up he had been kind and sweet, and then moved onto telling her off for not taking her pain medicine, for being rude to Tim, and for being a stubborn ass.

As he paused she held up a hand and pressed the button for her morphine, "There are you happy now?" she demanded.

Danny rolled his eyes, "No. You need ta apologize ta Tim. That man loves ya an is only tryin to protect you. Be nice."

Claire made small grumbling noises but nodded, knowing she had been unnecessarily mean to Tim. A moment later the door swung open to admit a nurse. "Alright Claire, how are you feeling? You ready to try sitting up and putting your feet on the ground?" she asked.

Claire's stomach turned at the idea. Every movement in the bed caused pain. Trying to sit up and swing her legs over would be agony. But she knew as a surgeon that early movement by the patient could help speed recovery.

So instead of refusing like she desperately wanted to, she nodded and smiled weakly. The nurse smiled and nodded her head approvingly, "Excellent! Let's get to it!" She came over and pulled the blankets back, holding her hands out to Claire, "Okay, take my hands and pull yourself up slowly."

Claire nodded and took her hands, gripping them tightly as she began to sit forward. Pain ripped through her, leaving her breathing hard through her nose as she gritted her teeth. Clamping her hands down tighter on the nurses, she groaned as she sat all the way up.

The nurse nodded and smiled encouragingly, "That's it, you've done it. Ok, now I want you to swing your legs over the side of the bed. Go ahead."

Claire took a deep breath and nodded, closing her eyes for a few moments, collecting herself. The pain was bad, but not unendurable; probably thanks to the shot of morphine she had taken shortly beforehand.

Opening her eyes, she nodded at the nurse-_Linda -_she thought, reading her nametag and began to shift her legs off the bed, slowly, one at a time. As her torso turned and her stitches pulled, her internal injuries pulling and aching, Claire groaned loudly, gripping the bed, pausing.

Her chin dropped to her chest as she gasped in pain, her stomach turning. Linda took her hand, "Come on Claire, you can do this, you're strong, you're almost there." Claire shook her head, tears of pain leaking out of her eyes.

The sound of the door opening barely registered with Claire until Linda let go of her hand and was replaced by the large strong hand and face of Tim. He crouched down and smiled gently at her, reaching up to touch her cheek softly.

"Hey. You got this. You are stronger than any bullet or injury. You kicked my alcoholic ass into shape, now I'm telling you that you need to get your legs over the side. Come on." His bright blue eyes stared into her hazel ones until she nodded, her hand gripping his tightly.

Tim nodded back and stood, still holding her hand. Claire gritted her teeth and continued shifting her legs off the bed, painfully slow, her body in aching pain that left her shaking and with tears streaming down her face.

When her feet hung off the side of the bed Tim stepped forward as Claire collapsed in pain, her chest heaving with exertion. He wrapped his arms around her and ran his hand over her back, his own face lined with worry and tension.

Claire's voice came out muffled against Tim's shirt, "Is that it, are we done?" she asked.

Linda smiled, "That's it for today Claire. We're going to do this each day." Looking at her watch she smiled at Tim, "I need to get her back onto the bed…"

Tim nodded and stepped back from Claire carefully, keeping a hand on her shoulder as Linda stepped forward to help lift her feet back onto the bed and recline back against the pillows. By the time they were done Claire was white in the face and sweating.

Linda completed a vitals check and nodded, "You're doing great. I know you probably feel like shit, but you're actually doing really well. Can I get you anything?" she asked.

Claire shook her head, "I think I would throw it up."

Linda nodded, "That's pretty common after this. I'll check on you in a little bit and see how you're feeling." She waved to the small group and shut the door behind her.

Tim was instantly at Claire's side, brushing hair out of her face, his hand cupping her cheek, feeling how chilled and sweaty she was. "Can I get you anything? What do you need?" he asked softly, urgently.

Claire sighed and gave him a weak smile, "Water maybe?" Tim nodded and grabbed her cup, going to the bathroom to fill it. Danny leaned forward in his seat, his own face pale and his eyes wide.

"You okay sis?" he asked, his voice a whisper. Truth be told, he had been terrified seeing Claire in that much pain. Knowing it was his fault was worse.

Claire smiled tiredly at Danny and nodded, "Just feelin like shit. I'll be good later. Promise." Danny nodded and reached out to take her hand gently in his, feeling like the world's biggest piece of shit.

Tim came back with a cup of water and a damp towel. He held it up, "Let me wipe your face" he murmured. Claire nodded and laid still, her eyes closed as Tim gently wiped her face and neck off. She sighed, it felt so nice.

Tim set the towel aside and held the cup up to Claire's lip, "Drink" he murmured softly. Claire sipped it slowly, letting her body decide if it would reject the water before sipping more, feeling cool relief slip through her veins.

When she had drained the cup, Tim set it aside and brushed her hair back, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Take some more morphine and get some rest. We'll get out of your hair" he whispered.

Claire's hand grasped onto his flannel collar, holding him close. Her eyes captured his as she tilted her chin up, "Don't you do anything stupid while I can't stop you" she whispered.

Tim's lips twitched with a half smile, "I won't. I'm just goin home to rest, get something to eat. Raylan will keep me updated."

Claire's lips pursed for a moment and then smiled, "Well, don't be goin to any bars looking for trouble."

Tim laughed softly at that, "You're all the trouble I need."

Claire grinned tiredly, "Damn straight." Leaning her head those few critical inches up, she captured his lips with hers and kissed him, her kiss brief but electric, nonetheless.

Tim sighed and pulled away, kissing her forehead, "Trouble. All kinds of damn trouble." He stared down at her seriously, "Please rest."

Claire nodded and circled her fingers around his wrist, "Promise." He nodded and smiled, pulling away to tug his coat on before leaning back in for another kiss. Waving to Danny, he ducked out the door.

Claire sighed and closed her eyes, exhausted and in pain.

"Well, thanks for searing that image into my brain." Danny quipped.

Claire laughed and opened her eyes, "Shut up. Don't make me laugh, it hurts."

Danny stood and leaned down to kiss her head softly, "Sorry." He paused for a moment and then rubbed the back of his neck, "So, Tim…do ya want ta invite him ta Thanksgiving?" he asked.

Claire stared at Danny for a long moment before realizing that Thanksgiving was in another week. By then she would be out of the hospital and recovering at home. Sighing, she ran a hand over her face and smiled, "Yea…why don't we. Anyone else?" she asked.

Danny shook his head, "Nah, jus thought you would want him there." He squeezed her foot gently before turning to the door, looking back to smile at her, "Get some rest. I'll be back with good food later."

Claire sighed when the door shut, her eyes sliding shut in exhaustion. Her whole body ached and throbbed and she fought back tears. She wanted desperately to be in bed with Tim, being held in his strong, gentle arms.

She wanted to be home, not in this shithole town where nothing was good. She was going home as soon as possible and never looking back.


	17. Future Plans

A week later Claire was discharged from the hospital after she had successfully managed to begin walking and rehab. She would need to attend rehab twice weekly, and do exercises at home to keep her strength up.

As Danny and Tim set up the hospital bed in the living room, she sat at the kitchen table, talking to the hospital admins, informing them that she wouldn't be back for a few weeks, because she had been injured during a federal investigation.

"No, I'm sorry I can't give you more answers than that. Because it's an ongoing case and I'm not allowed to talk about it." She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. She had a growing headache and she wanted to eat and lay down with Tim, not be on the phone with this woman anymore.

Suddenly the phone was snatched out of her hand. Looking up she watched as Tim smirked at her and held the phone up to his own ear, "Hello? Yes, this is Deputy Marshal Tim Gutterson. Ms. Bennett is part of an ongoing investigation that will require her presence here for a few more weeks. We can send a federal warrant to keep her on staff at your hospital if you like."

He raised a brow and smiled, "Oh, no? Okay, good to hear. Thank you. Aloha." He hung up the phone and set it on the table. Leaning down he pressed a kiss to her temple, murmuring, "Seems like they found a whole bunch of time you didn't take in the system, so you're good. No worries. Your job will be there when you get back."

Claire heaved a deep breath and tried not to break down in tears. She covered her face with her hands, her eyes watering, her body aching. Tim stared at her, bewildered. He thought he had done the right thing.

"Hey, woah, what's wrong?" he murmured.

Claire shook her head, "Nothing. I appreciate what you did. I'm just so tired and overwhelmed. And hungry." She shook her head again and laughed, sniffling and wiping her eyes. Looking up at him she smiled tiredly, "I'm sorry, I'm just tired."

Tim smiled, "And hungry. Hold on, I'll make you some lunch." He went to the fridge and pulled out a rotisserie chicken he had bought, peeling off hunks of chicken and piling it on bread with lettuce, tomato, avocado and cheese. Slathering on honey mustard, he cut it in half and added some apple slices to the plate before setting it before her with a bottle of protein shake.

Claire grinned tiredly, "I feel like a little kid again."

Tim smiled and sat across from her, "I hope not, otherwise that would make my dirty thoughts about you wildly inappropriate."

Claire snorted, "You know that's out of the question for like, weeks."

Tim sighed and nodded, "Guess I'll just have to get used to being a cuddler."

Claire ate with gusto and nodded. When she had finished she was practically falling asleep at the table. Tim grinned and stood, "Alright champ, time for bed."

Claire nodded and took his arms, standing slowly, her face a mask of pain. Tim helped her walk slowly to the bed and then lowered her down, slipping her shoes off before tucking her legs under the covers.

Danny watched with concern, "Is she ok?" he asked softly.

Tim nodded, "She's just exhausted. It was a lot of moving and lifting."

Danny nodded, "Okay. I hate ta go, but I got work." He looked worried but Tim shooed him, "Go man, I got her." At the look Danny gave him he sighed, "Man, I got this. If Boyd shows up we're taking him down."

Danny sighed and nodded, "Fine." He walked over to Claire and pressed a soft kiss to her hair, "Love ya Claire Bear" he whispered.

"Love you Danny boy" she murmured, half asleep.

Danny smiled and touched her cheek gently before turning and nodding at Tim. He quickly tugged his jacket on and left, not wanting to be late for his new job at the factory.

Tim kicked his shoes off and stoked the fire, adding another log before stripping his sweater off and crawling into bed with Claire. He rested his hand gently on her waist, not wanting to hurt her.

She wiggled back against him gently, sighing softly, contentedly. She whispered something he couldn't hear and he leaned in, "What did you say?" he whispered.

"No funny stuff" she murmured, a smile on her lips, her eyes slitted barely open.

He laughed softly and pressed a kiss to the column of her throat, eliciting a soft sigh from her. "Go to sleep. I'll save the funny stuff for when you're capable" he whispered.

He watched as she fell asleep, a smile on her lips, her breathing deep and even. Tim breathed with her, remembering how scared he had been those first nights after her surgery, when it seemed like her breathing was so labored. He had lain by her side then as he did now, hoping her body would feel his normal breathing rhythm and would match it, would heal.

As she had gotten better he had continued sleeping by her side because he wouldn't trust anyone else to protect her. He wouldn't fail her again.

Eventually he too fell asleep, napping.

* * *

When Claire woke, Tim wasn't in bed with her, but she did smell something wonderful cooking. Stretching slowly, she bit back a cry of pain and stopped, easing a little slower through the stretch like the therapist had shown her.

Slowly she sat up and eased her legs over the side of the bed, leveraging herself into a standing position. She looked around for her cane, but didn't see it. "Shit" she whispered. Sighing, she leaned against the bed and called out, "Tim, where's my cane?"

A second later his head popped around the corner, "I leaned it against the chair. Right there" he pointed to the wingback just out of her reach. She sighed and stared at it for a long moment before nodding.

Holding onto the bed with one hand she took small shuffling steps forward until she could reach out and snatch up the cane. When she turned and began to walk towards the kitchen, she saw the look of pride on Tim's face before he ducked back around the corner.

Shaking her head, she smiled as she moved slowly. "Did you put this out of reach so I would have to walk without it?" she called out.

"I must have just leaned it against the chair and forgotten to move it closer" Tim called back.

"Mmmhmm" she mused, limping into the kitchen, raising her brows at him in disbelief. He remained impassive, simply smiling at her as he sautéed something in a pan.

Claire leaned against a counter and sighed, already tiring from the short walk. Tim heard the sigh and turned to look at her over his shoulder, making sure she was ok. She smiled at him, "I'm fine, just resting" she reassured him.

He nodded, "Okay."

Claire studied him for a moment as he cooked and then asked, as casually as possible, "So, what are your Thanksgiving plans?"

Tim shrugged, "Didn't really have any, why?"

"Well, if you would like, I would like it if you would spend it with us." Claire watched him, waiting for his reaction.

Tim stared down at the beef sautéing for the chili, wondering if he should say yes. She would probably be better by the first weeks of December, able to go home. Why should he add to the pain by spending the holiday with her and Danny?

But the idea of hurting her by turning her down…Sighing softly he turned and smiled faintly, "I'd love to" he murmured. The rewarding smile he received by accepting was well worth his hesitation.

He crossed the kitchen to kiss her softly, enjoying the feeling of her in his arms. After a moment he pulled away and tapped her hip lightly with the spatula, "Go sit, you shouldn't stand too long" he scolded.

Claire wrinkled her nose at him, sticking her tongue out, but assented. As Tim put the chili together, they talked about the case and the progress that the Marshals were making.

Boyd had been laying low, keeping his business clean, and hadn't been brought in for anything yet. The thinking was that they would have an airtight case before they went after him. Claire had her first meeting with the AUSA the next day, and they would be going over her testimony.

Claire was nervous, worried that she was going to mess up, or that Boyd would come after her. Tim reassured her that no matter what happened, he would protect her. Over their empty chili bowls he took her hand, "I swear, I won't ever let that man hurt you again."

Claire nodded, "I know, I-I'm just scared." Her wide eyes were filled with fear and tears and it tore at Tim. He sank to his knees beside her chair and took her hand, laying it on his heart, "Feel that?" he asked.

Claire nodded. Tim squeezed her hand, "Every beat is for you. I'll die before I let someone hurt you again. Don't be scared. I've got your back."

Claire broke out in tears, her torso aching as she cried. Tim rose and pulled her into his arms, hushing her softly. When she had calmed he smiled, wiping her cheeks, "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

She sighed, "Fine, just emotional as shit."

Tim laughed, "That's what happens when you get shot." Claire stared at him for a moment and then shook her head; she didn't want to know how much experience he had with getting shot. It was too scary to think about.

Tim smiled, "How about we do some therapy? I know you're tired, but you could use it, you looked stiff earlier."

Claire sighed and nodded, standing slowly and following him to the living room where they had set up her resistance bands and balance balls. They did a number of therapy moves that had been suggested, for well over 40 minutes until finally Claire called the session to an end.

She was covered in sweat, annoyed, and achy. "I need a shower" she muttered. Tim nodded and came over, picking her up easily, carrying her up the stairs to the bathroom and setting her on the toilet.

He turned the shower on and turned, "Do you need help undressing?" he asked gently, knowing she wasn't happy. The therapist had warned him that regular patients didn't do well with therapy, and doctors did even worse.

Claire sighed and shook her head, "I need to do it. I need to get used to it."

Tim nodded and stepped away, "Okay, I'll be around if you need me." He shut the door and stood outside, listening, barely breathing as he waited to make sure she was ok. He heard her groan softly as she stepped in, but then nothing else.

After a moment he walked to her room and picked out clean clothes, setting them on the bed before sitting down himself.

The investigation was closing in around Boyd.

Claire was healing.

She would be going home soon; there was no question about it. It scared him how much he didn't want her to go, how much he would miss her when she was gone.

Over the past week he had made inquiries into whether there were openings in Hawaii and had looked at houses for sale, imagining a life for him and Claire.

What he wasn't sure of was whether Claire wanted him in Hawaii. She had mentioned it offhand a few times, but hadn't pushed the issue. The idea of leaving his friends-his family really- behind was hard, but it excited him to think he could spend every day with Claire.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the door opening and Claire shuffling in, her face flushed from the shower and her hair hanging down around her shoulders. She came to stand in front of him, resting her hand on his shoulder, her hair dripping occasionally onto him.

"Will you help me get dressed?" she asked softly. Tim could see lines of pain around her eyes and how hunched over she was. He nodded gently, turning his head to kiss her wrist at his shoulder.

He knelt and gently pulled her underwear up before standing and helping her pull her shirt on, his gut clenching at the sight of her fading bruises and the healing wounds. He knelt again and guided her sweatpants on, standing as he gently tugged them to her waist.

Pushing her into the chair at her vanity, he wrapped the towel around her shoulders and began to brush her hair gently, watching as her eyes fell shut slowly. He toweled her hair off softly before leaning down to whisper, "You're all done ma'am, that'll be $50."

Claire grinned and turned to kiss him, "Mmmm, $50 for a hairbrush? That's a bit salty."

Tim smirked and nipped her lip, kissing her softly, "Well you're paying for my fine ass as well."

Claire snorted and slapped his arm, "Well, that's priceless babe." She grinned at him and shook her head, "Can we go watch a movie?" she asked softly, wanting to snuggle in his arms.

Tim leaned down, scooping her up in his arms, grinning at her shriek of laughter. When he had settled her in the bed downstairs, he sidled up behind her and turned on the tv. "What do you want to watch?" he asked.

She shrugged, "Mmm, how about something funny?" she suggested. Tim nodded and flipped through HBO until they found _Office Space._ Tim had never seen it before and Claire had seen it a million times.

When the movie started he quickly discovered her love for the movie as she quoted the lines along with the movie. Her attempts at sounding like the man with the lisp- Milton- left him in tears he was laughing so hard.

That evening after dinner they went over her testimony and Tim reassured her what the AUSA was like-sarcastic, hardass, but essentially a good guy. With her testimony and the evidence they had built, they would have enough to put Boyd away forever.

* * *

"Alright Ms. Bennett, now I'm going to ask you questions about the case, your involvement with it, and specifics about the crimes that were committed, okay? This is not a trial, this is just fact finding so that when a trial does happen we have your testimony on record. Are you ready?" the AUSA asked.

Claire nodded and shifted in her chair, she was sore, but they had a lot longer to go. The attorney, who had introduced himself as David Vasquez, nodded and gave her an encouraging smile.

"Okay, first question, how did you first become acquainted with the case against Boyd Crowder?" he asked.

Claire took a deep breath before she spoke, "I was living in Hawaii, and I got a call from Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens, or rather a voicemail. Raylan asked me to call him in regards to my brother, and when I called him back, he told me that Danny had been injured in the commission of a bank robbery. They wanted him to turn on Boyd when he got out of surgery, and they were hoping I would convince him."

She smiled faintly, unamused, "I flew back immediately and by the time I got here I had decided that it would be safer for the Marshals to use me as a witness against Boyd. Danny was injured, and there was no way Boyd would trust him. So I proposed my idea, and they agreed."

Vasquez nodded, "Okay good. Did you know Boyd before all of this?"

Claire nodded, "He was a few years older than me in high school…and he beat one of my friends while they were dating. She miscarried, and I was the only one who knew."

Vasquez looked up at that, "Would you say that this gave you extra reason to want Boyd in jail?" he asked.

Claire raised a brow, "You mean other than my brother almost being killed because of Boyd? Yea, sure. I'm also sure there are any number of people in this town that want him behind bars."

Vasquez nodded, "True, but none of them are helping the Marshals."

Claire sighed and bit back a sharp reply, sipping her coffee instead. She looked out the glass doors of the conference room to where Raylan, Tim and Rachel were not so stealthily watching them.

She raised a brow at them and smirked. Rachel blushed and ducked her head back behind her desk but Tim and Raylan just grinned and turned to talk to each other.

"So, let's move on to your relationship with Deputy Gutterson."

Claire's gaze whipped back to Vasquez who was smiling politely at her. She narrowed her eyes at him and tapped her fingers on the side of her mug, wondering what he was up to. If she told the truth…it could end Tim's career.

"Okay, what would you like to know?" she asked politely.

"What would you say is the nature of your relationship?" Vasquez asked, studying her.

Claire nodded, "Well, he was assigned protective duty for me, and has done an admirable job. My injuries sustained during the recent crime were through no fault of his, but because Boyd is a criminal and employs other criminals."

Vasquez nodded and wrote her response before asking, "So, you would say you're friends then?"

Claire pondered the question and then nodded, "Yes, that's an accurate description of our relationship."

Vasquez sighed, "You aren't sleeping together?" he asked looking at her pointedly.

Claire smiled, "No, I'm not having sex with Deputy Gutterson. Since that's what you're actually asking."

Vasquez smiled faintly and nodded. "Okay. Let's keep going."

Claire sighed softly and nodded, grateful they had made it past that point without her having to lie—truth be told, she _wasn't _currently having sex with Tim.

Two hours later they finished and Claire was hiding her hands under the table to conceal the shaking from pain that was occurring. When Vasquez got up to talk to Art she quickly dug through her bag and took two pain pills, swallowing them down with the last of her cold coffee.

Slumping down in her chair, she rested her head on her fists, sighing deeply.

"Hey you doin okay?"

Claire smiled at the soft concerned voice of Rachel. Looking up she smiled at the other woman and nodded, "I suppose. I just haven't been through anything like that before. It was…rough."

Rachel smiled and sat down beside her, "You're telling me. My first one, I almost cried. I had to excuse myself and go to the bathroom to pull myself together."

Claire smiled, "You'd never know now, you're so calm and cool."

Rachel grinned, "If you wanna work with these redneck assholes you gotta know how to keep cool."

Claire laughed delightedly, "Oh that's perfect! You're so right."

Rachel smiled, studying the woman that Tim was so obviously in love with. After a moment she leaned forward and asked, "What do you have planned for the rest of the day?"

Claire shrugged, "Uh, well I know Tim wanted to catch up on some paperwork, why?" she asked.

Rachel smiled, "Why don't we sneak off and get pedicures? You could probably use some pampering."

Claire nearly cried at the idea of a pedicure, nodding effusively. "Oh my god yes please."

Rachel grinned and stood, "Okay, let me go talk to the boys, you hang out here." Claire nodded and watched as the other woman went and deftly negotiated with all three men, never raising her voice, smiling politely the whole time.

When she came back with Claire's coat, she was surprised to have Claire burst out laughing at her. Rachel looked confused, "W-what?" she asked.

"You handle those men like they're a bunch of overgrown puppies, that's all" Claire said, chuckling softly.

Rachel raised a brow, grinning. "Well, that's a new one. I just guide them to where they need goin, and if they think it was their idea, well, that's fine."

Claire grinned, "Sneaky." Rachel nodded and helped her with her coat before they went out and said goodbye to the men.

* * *

Claire looked down at her painted toenails and smiled, wriggling them happily. She smiled over at Rachel who was sipping on a glass of wine, her toes just being finished. "This was perfect, thank you" she murmured.

Rachel nodded and sighed happily, "Just don't tell the boys about this-"she raised her wine and grinned, "And you don't have to thank me."

Claire laughed softly and nodded, "You got it."

Rachel studied her for a moment and then opened her mouth to speak, hesitating for a breath. "Claire?" she called softly.

Claire looked up from her magazine, "Hmm, yes?" she murmured, smiling at Rachel.

"Do you love Tim?" Rachel asked softly. She watched as Claire's eyes widened in surprise, her lips parting in a small gasp.

Claire stared at Rachel for a long moment before sighing. She smiled at Rachel, "What would you do if I said yes?" she asked.

Rachel smiled softly, "I would tell you not to break his heart. Tim may talk a tough game, but I see the way he looks at you, and I know he'll do anything for you." She hesitated a moment and continued, "I don't know if he's told you anything about his family?" she asked softly.

Claire shook her head, "No he hasn't, why?" she asked, concerned.

Rachel sighed, "It's just…his dad was a violent, drunk bastard. He beat Tim, and his mother. When Tim got old enough he joined the Army, and became a Ranger. After he got discharged, he went home and found out his dad had died, and his mom was so drunk and crazy she didn't recognize him. Tim sends her money to keep her alive, but he won't go back."

Claire sat stunned, listening to the story of the man she loved. Rachel sighed, seeing Claire's face, "I'm just trying to make sure you know everything, because if you do love him, you need to not let him down."

Claire nodded, "I won't. I promise." As she made the promise, she wasn't sure if it was true. She wanted Tim to come with her to Hawaii, but she wasn't sure it was what he wanted.

She would break his heart by leaving. Sighing, she stared at her toes; she had picked an ocean blue with little gold dots, it reminded her of the sand flecked water at home. Home; where she wanted to be with Tim.

She needed to have a talk with Tim about whether he wanted to come with her, what their plan for the future would be. The idea of it terrified her, but the idea of finally being happy; it was too elusive not to try.

* * *

_**AN: Well, I hope you're all enjoying the story! I expect it to be wrapping up in the next three chapters, so I hope you all will review and let me know what you've thought so far! Thank you all for reading/following/liking. **_


	18. Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was just two days away and Claire felt completely unprepared. She and Danny were talking through the dinner menu, Tim watching her carefully, refraining from comment.

"Yer gonna make mashed potatoes like ma used to, right?" Danny asked, grinning at her.

Claire frowned and shook her head in exasperation, "Danny boy, I can barely lift a bag of potatoes, what makes you think I can handle making them mashed?"

Danny glanced over at Tim and grinned, "Big strong man like you, yer gonna help her, right?"

Tim sighed and sipped his coffee, still saying nothing. He had already shot off a text to Raylan and Rachel, letting them know the situation. Within minutes they both responded and a small smile flitted across his lips.

He sauntered over to Claire and brushed a kiss across the top of her head, "Don't worry about it. Danny and I will go get the food. You rest." He jerked his head and widened his eyes slightly at Danny who took the hint and stood, leaving the room.

Tim crouched down and laid a hand on her stomach, "How you feelin today darling?" he murmured softly.

Claire smiled and leaned in for a brief kiss. "Better. Still sore, but not as bad as yesterday. Are you sure you don't mind going to the store?" she asked softly.

Tim stroked her hair back and shook his head, "No. You rest, there will be a lot to do to get ready for Thanksgiving."

Claire nodded and sighed, "Okay, well, be safe."

Tim laughed and stood, "Darlin, you're the one with a gunshot wound."

Claire glared at him and kicked his ankle softly, "Doesn't mean I can't worry about you."

He grinned and leaned down for a firm kiss, his lips brushing hers when he whispered, "And you know I love that ya do." He smiled and pulled away, sauntering away and joining Danny in the car.

Claire sighed and looked around the room, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do with herself now.

_I could always clean…momma would be in a state over the house._

She sighed again and stood slowly, wincing as her scar tugged. Walking slowly to the pantry she gathered cleaning supplies and began in the kitchen. Setting up her phone to play music, she began by wiping down the counters and washing the dishes. When she had finished she swept the floors and wet mopped them, moving into the dining room.

It took her nearly ten minutes to tug the table open and pull the extra leaf out and get it into place, making the table larger for Thanksgiving dinner. She knew they weren't going to have enough people, but there was something about the way the table looked with the food all spread out that just made her happy at Thanksgiving.

When she had finished she walked slowly down the stairs to the basement and began rummaging through boxes until she found the Thanksgiving decorations her mother had always put up when they were younger.

Some were going in the trash they were in such poor condition, but others she was definitely putting up. She stared at the box and pondered how to get it up the stairs without killing herself. Finally she decided to carry small items out of it and upstairs until it was light enough to carry itself.

Twenty minutes later she was huffing and puffing, slowly making her way up the stairs when she heard a knock at the front door.

"Christ who could that be?" she muttered, brushing back her sweaty hair.

She pushed the box the last few steps onto the floor and stood for a moment before walking to the door and peering out through the frosted glass. She threw the door open and glared.

"What the hell do you want Ava?"

The other woman barely flinched at her tone, her chin lifting in defiance.

"I came to see if you're planning on rattin out Boyd."

Claire laughed in disbelief and shook her head, "You've got to be fucking kidding me. I got shot helping your boyfriend Ava. I want to go home to Hawaii. After Thanksgiving and the doctors here clear me to fly, I'm gone."

Ava stared at her for a moment and then softened, reaching a hand out towards her wounded stomach. "You alright? Can I get you anythin?" she asked softly.

Claire shook her head and stepped back, "Just keep Boyd away from me and Danny. I don't want anything to do with him."

Ava's jaw tightened but she nodded. "Y'all have a happy Thanksgiving."

Claire nodded, "You too Ava." She watched as the other woman turned and walked to her truck. She didn't go back inside until it had belched its last puff of black smoke as it went around the corner, leaving a greasy haze behind.

Sighing, Claire leaned against the door and rubbed her scar gently, frowning at the pain. If she didn't know better she would say that Ava looked genuinely worried about her…maybe she was worried that Boyd would be charged with more crimes.

She laughed ruefully and leaned away from the door, walking back to the box of decorations. It was far more likely that Ava was worried about her own skin and Boyd's than the idea that she gave a shit about her.

As she sorted out the decorations and began placing them around the house she wondered what Thanksgiving would be like for Ava and Boyd. This could very well be the last that they would spend together.

It could be the first and only that she and Tim spent together if he didn't want to move to Hawaii with her.

Her stomach twisted unpleasantly at the thought.

Shaking off the bad thoughts she grabbed the garlands of fall leaves and took them to the stairwell, winding them through the railings, taping them in place artfully. She worked slowly now, her strength waning, but she kept going, wanting to surprise Tim and Danny.

The front door burst open and both men entered, arms full of bags, their laughter loud and carefree. Claire smiled from the stairs at Tim who quickly took his bags into the kitchen and caught sight of all the other decorations and the clean rooms and began to suspect how she had spent her afternoon.

He strode back out to the stairwell and sat down on the steps next to her, reaching up to touch the garland. "You've been busy, hmm?" he asked softly. Claire nodded and smiled tiredly at him.

"Hey man you goin to help me with these?" Danny called from the kitchen.

"Nope you do it" Tim called back, grinning at Claire.

They both grinned at his half-hearted grumblings and Tim soon turned his attention to her activities. He took the tape from her hands and stood, "Why don't I help you?" he offered gently.

Claire sighed and nodded gratefully, "I'll supervise from here" she said with a devious grin. Tim shook his head, smiling softly as he worked his way down the stairs, hanging the garland.

When he finished he waved a hand, "What does the forelady think?" he asked, his grin impish.

Claire tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Hmm, not too shabby. But you could use work. I'm going to have to penalize you." She crooked her finger and grinned as Tim walked back up the stairs to crouch over her, his flannel hanging open to reveal a tight tshirt beneath.

Grasping the ends of the flannel she tugged and pulled him down against her. She could feel him resting his weight on his forearms so he didn't hurt her and she smiled, loving him for it. Running her fingers through his thick hair, she lifted her chin and brushed her lips faintly against his, her fingers cupping the back of his neck, stroking the soft hair and strong muscle there.

Tim made a soft noise and tilted his mouth against hers, deepening the kiss, his hips tilting down against hers gently. His teeth nipped at her lip and she sighed softly, aching for more. Her hand trailed down his back and up under his shirt to touch soft skin and hard muscle, tensing at her touch.

His body trembled with desire, aching to kiss, touch and taste her everywhere.

Claire's body shifted against Tim's, searching for pleasure. Her wound tugged and she gasped softly in pain.

Tim pulled back and frowned softly at her, "What is it, what's wrong?" he whispered his voice low and rough.

Claire shook her head and smiled faintly, "Nothing, just my scar. It's fine." She saw the look on his face and reached up to touch his cheek, "It's fine, I swear."

Tim shook his head, "You're still healing, we shouldn't be doing this. I don't want to hurt you." He eased off her and sat next to her on the step, rubbing a hand over his face. Claire sighed and sat up slowly, wincing as her scar throbbed softly.

Tim eyed her as she sat up and frowned, "You shouldn't have done all of that cleaning and decorating, you could have hurt yourself."

Claire sighed, "Well I wanted the house to look festive. It's probably the last Thanksgiving this house will see."

They both fell silent at that, each of them wondering where they would be for next year.

* * *

Thanksgiving Day Claire was awoken by the sound of voices downstairs. Sitting up slowly, she looked around and realized that Tim wasn't in bed with her. Frowning, she slid out of bed and pulled on her sweats and slid on her favorite pair of moccasins.

Walking slowly down the stairs she paused when she realized she recognized the voices. Raylan and Rachel were in her house? "What the hell?" she whispered, walking down the stairs.

She quickly pulled her hair back into a ponytail and prayed her breath wasn't atrocious as she walked into the kitchen. The sight that greeted her was nearly beyond belief.

Raylan was chopping sweet potatoes, Danny regular potatoes, Rachel was sautéing something in a pan and Tim appeared to be wrestling with the turkey.

Claire stood, staring at them until Tim looked up and saw her, breaking out in a huge smile. "Hey sleeping beauty."

She flushed as everyone noticed her and called out their greetings. She walked quickly over and poured a cup of coffee, sipping it and then going over to embrace Rachel and giving Raylan a quick hug.

"Uh, not that I'm not happy to see y'all, but what the hell are you doing in my kitchen?" she asked lightly.

Danny laughed, "We're making dinner Claire Bear. Everyone is having dinner with us, since they can't with their family."

Claire looked at Rachel and Raylan and frowned softly, "Really? You'd rather be here?" she asked.

They both nodded and Rachel smiled, "You guys are too fun to pass up."

Claire laughed, "Right, stick around and you too can have fun at the low low price of a gunshot!"

Raylan snorted and lifted his coffee mug, "Can I get a refill?"

Claire lifted a brow, "I dunno Raylan, can you? I see you've got two working feet and hands there, so I think you can."

He grinned and stood, striding across the room, refilling his mug. He leaned in to Tim and murmured, "I like her, she's feisty."

Tim elbowed Raylan in the chest and smirked, "Go chop potatoes."

Raylan saluted and went to sit back down, dutifully chopping his potatoes with a shit eating grin on his face.

Claire leaned in to Tim and tugged on his collar until he turned his face to hers and she could kiss him, not caring that the other Marshals were there or if they were watching. "Feisty, huh?" she whispered when she pulled away.

Tim shrugged, "I'd say it's more like pain in the ass, but Raylan's kissing ass so he can get fed." He grinned at her noise of indignation and ducked when she moved to slap his head.

Claire grabbed his shirt and yanked him close again, grinning at the chuckles she heard from the other Marshals. She kissed him again and whispered, "But I'm your pain in the ass."

Tim nodded and nudged her hip with his, smiling softly. "There's breakfast on the table."

Claire smiled and went to sit at the table, eagerly filling her plate with fresh fruit and croissants. As she ate she and Rachel chatted, talking about family Thanksgiving traditions. When she had finished eating she excused herself and went to change, quickly pulling on jeans and a Henley long sleeve shirt.

When she came back downstairs she found the group in front of the tv, sipping beers and watching football. Grinning, she sank down on the couch beside Tim and snuggled into his side, smiling softly when he wrapped an arm around her.

The afternoon moved by slowly, the house filling with delicious scents as dishes were prepared. Whenever Claire attempted to help she was shooed out of the kitchen and sent to relax. She finally consented and sank back down on the couch, pulling a blanket down on her as she watched the game.

Twenty minutes later Tim leaned around the corner and grinned, seeing she had fallen asleep. Walking over he leaned down and rubbed her shoulder gently, "Hey darlin, its dinner time."

Claire blinked and smiled at him sleepily and Tim felt his heart thump fiercely. He smiled, "You fell asleep before eatin the turkey, that's gotta be some kinda record."

Claire laughed softly and stood, stretching slowly. Tim eyed her with interest and she winked at him, leaning in and kissing him softly. "Let's go eat soldier."

He smiled and nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her close as they walked into the dining room together.

Claire gasped in surprise.

The table was laden with sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, greens, turkey, homemade cranberry sauce, and macaroni and cheese. On the serving board behind the table were two pies; one apple cranberry and one pumpkin.

Her eyes involuntarily filled and she shook her head, "You guys, this is incredible!" she whispered, her voice shaky.

Rachel stepped forward and hugged her gently, "Happy Thanksgiving Claire."

Claire hugged her back tightly, not caring that her wound hurt, only that she was with her loved ones.

She was surprised to think of Rachel and Raylan in that manner, but when she thought of what they meant to Tim, she would never think of them as anything other than family. As she looked over at Danny, she smiled.

Family was everything.

She went over to her brother and wrapped an arm around his waist and waved a hand at the food, "I didn't know you could cook" she said, half jokingly.

Danny grinned, "Ahh it was mostly Rachel, Raylan and Tim." He gave her a shy smile and pointed to the pies, "But, uh I used mom's recipe and made the pies."

Claire smiled up at him and squeezed his waist softly, "I bet they're going to be awesome." Her heart warmed when she saw the pride in his eyes and wished their parents had encouraged him like they had her.

Raylan cleared his throat, "Alright, this is nice and all, but the food is gettin cold. Why don't we sit?"

Claire grinned and nodded, seating herself between Danny and Tim. They all quickly filled their plates but before anyone could take a bite Claire held up a hand, "Before we eat, can we take a moment to say what we're grateful for? I think it's important."

Heads nodded around the table and everyone looked to her. She cleared her throat and smiled, "First of all, I'm thankful for all of you for making dinner. I'm thankful for you all for helping Danny when most other people didn't. I'm thankful for Danny, for his survival. I'm thankful for my own survival. I'm thankful for all of you for becoming not just friends, but family."

Claire took a deep breath and looked over at Tim, "I'm grateful to have found love. I'm grateful for each and every moment with you, no matter what. I'm grateful because I know what it is to have lost everything, and it means so much more to have found you because of that."

Her eyes welled up and she shook her head, looking at all of them, "I'm grateful for all of you. I love all of you." She smiled when she saw Rachel wiping her own tears away and she could have sworn she saw Raylan's eyes looking misty before he turned away.

Looking to Danny she grinned through her tears, "Your turn."

He laughed and shook his head, "Hell naw, I can't follow that."

The group laughed and chided him softly until he consented.

"Alright. I'm grateful for y'all too. Y'all saved my ass and Claire's too. Claire bear, I'm grateful to ya for always takin care of my punk ass."

Claire laughed and reached out to squeeze his hand, sharing a soft smile with him.

Rachel smiled, "My turn huh? Okay, I'm grateful for my friends and my family. I'm grateful that this year has been a good one for us, and that my friends are happy." She looked to Raylan and raised a brow.

He sighed and nodded, "Alright. I'm grateful for this dinner. I'm glad y'all are my friends, and Tim," he paused and smiled softly at his friend, "You found yourself a wonderful woman, and I'm real grateful for that."

Tim smiled and leaned over, "Why Ray-ray, I didn't know you cared."

The table erupted in laughter and the two men shared a private smile, each knowing the other's mind after so many years working together. When the laughter had quieted Tim sighed and leaned forward, playing with his water glass.

"I'm grateful for Claire." His hands continued to play with the water glass and his voice was quiet as he spoke, "I'm grateful that she chose to love me. I'm grateful that she never gave up on me, even when I nearly drank myself to death. I'm grateful that I don't drink anymore thanks to her, and that I don't have nightmares like I used to. I'm grateful that I'm happy, for the first time in a long time."

Claire bit her lip hard, trying not to cry. When Tim looked up and spoke directly to her, "I'm grateful you're alive because I couldn't live without you" she lost control and started weeping. She was out of her chair without thinking and in the next moment was wrapped in his arms, his soft voice whispering, "I love you."

When she had resumed control she pulled away and wiped her cheeks, laughing softly, "Sorry guys, that wasn't what I had intended."

Raylan cleared his throat and smiled, "It's alright darlin, we're family."

Claire nodded and sat, "Right, well, let's have this family eat!" There was a chorus of agreement and the group bent to their plates, chatter resuming softly.

When the meal had ended (by way of everyone simply being unable to eat more food) Claire began clearing the table and putting away leftovers. Rachel joined her and sent the men to watch football, grinning at their half-hearted protestations.

As they cleaned Rachel touched Claire's arm softly and asked, "When are you going back?"

Claire stared into her dark, serious eyes and felt her stomach drop. It was the question she had been avoiding, especially with Tim.

"When the doctors clear me. I assume I can fly back for depositions or go to a field office down there if you all need me?" she asked softly, not wanting Tim to hear.

Rachel nodded, "I think they're done with you for now, but if that changes they'll probably pressure you to fly back. If they need you to testify, you'll have to come back." She gave Claire a studying look and then asked, "What are the doctors saying?"

Claire sighed, "Probably another two weeks before I can fly. They just want me to be strong enough to endure the long flight and not worry about an embolism."

Rachel nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "And what about Tim?"

Claire smiled sadly, "You don't ask the easy questions, do you?" She shook her head and sighed, "We've talked about him coming to Hawaii, but there hasn't been anything decided. I don't know if he'd be able to leave you guys. You're his family."

Rachel smiled, "Girl, if you don't know after tonight, he'd go anywhere for you. You should ask him."

Claire nodded and smiled tentatively, "I'll have to." She turned her attention back to the dishes and continued cleaning until there wasn't anything left. Rachel moved away silently, leaving her to put away leftovers in containers and deal with the idea of moving to Hawaii with Tim.

"Hey, you should leave that. Come take a walk with me."

Tim plucked a dish of cranberry sauce from her hands and handed her coat to her with a smile. Claire took it and followed him gratefully outside. As they walked down the street she tucked her arm through his and leaned her head against his arm.

Tim shifted and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer, walking slower. The air was chilly in the early evening, but after the warmth of the house and the overeating it felt pleasant.

They turned onto a dirt path and walked back to a pond, coming to stop at a bench. Tim pulled Claire down beside him, his arm around her shoulders, her head on his chest.

She stared out at the water, fringed on the edges with ice. Right now in Hawaii it was in the 80's and sunny. Yet somehow she still enjoyed this weather. She supposed it only took a couple decades away for her to appreciate it.

Sighing softly she plucked up her courage and spoke softly. "Do you want to move to Hawaii with me when I go back?"

The silence went on for so long she shifted and looked up at Tim, worried. He was frowning softly.

Finally he sighed and smiled faintly at her. "Yes, I do."

Claire raised a brow, "But…"

Tim nodded, "But, I haven't gotten a transfer approval from the Marshals. They want me to finish this case first. Arrest Boyd, take it to trial."

Claire frowned, "How long is that going to be?"

Tim sighed, "We're going to arrest him before Christmas, but I don't know how long the trial is going to take. I'm gettin Art to work with HQ and have them either transfer me once he's arrested or I'll quit."

Claire gave him a sharp look, "Quit? You love being a Marshal."

He shrugged, "I can find work. I want to be with you."

Claire smiled and squeezed his arm, "And I want you to be happy. If that means it takes longer for you to get transferred," she sighed, "well, we'll work with it."

Tim stared at her for a moment and then wrapped his hand around her neck, drawing her close to kiss her softly. His lips brushed against her cheek and he whispered, "You're amazing."

Claire smiled, "Not really, just selfish. I want you and I'll do whatever it takes to have you."

The sound of Tim's laughter rumbled in the quiet of the night and she could feel it thrum against her skin sitting so close. He smiled at her, "Another reason I love you." He sighed and held her against him, sitting contentedly in the quiet for a few minutes longer.

They rose together and walked back to the house, hand in hand.

Danny greeted them at the door, pie scoop in hand, "Come on! We're havin dessert!"

Claire laughed and tugged on Tim's handing, leading him into the kitchen where Danny was serving up plates of pie. When she bit into the apple pie she sighed happily, it tasted just like her mother's.

Smiling happily at Danny she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, "Excellent pie Danny boy. Mom would be proud."

Rachel nodded and around a mouthful asked, "What else do you bake?"

Danny frowned, "I never really baked much, but I can make ya somethin if ya want."

"I'm going to need brownies on the regular" Rachel said with a grin.

Danny nodded and Raylan called out, "Not weed brownies neither Danny."

The group burst into laughter and more dessert orders were requested of Danny until Claire elbowed him. "Why don't you start a bakery?"

Danny gave her a wry look, "With what money?"

Claire smiled, "The estate money. Most of yours is still there. I invested a good portion of it and got good returns. If you want it, you can have it. If you want to sell mom and dad's house and come to Hawaii with me, you can. You can have whatever you want Danny."

Danny stared at her, the possibilities for a future for the first time within his grasp. He smiled slowly and then asked hesitantly, "You…you would want me to come to Hawaii?"

Claire smiled her heart breaking. Their relationship should never have gotten as damaged as it had. Nodding, she laid a hand on his arm, "Danny, if you want to come, I'll buy your ticket back. I only have a small spare room, but it's yours if you want it."

He nodded and swept her into a tight hug, "Thank you Claire bear!"

Claire nodded and hugged him back, overjoyed to finally have found a way to truly help her brother.

* * *

After everyone had left Claire lay in bed with Tim, watching him sleep. There were no longer dark circles beneath his eyes and he slept contentedly at night. She didn't know how she would be able to sleep without him beside her, or spend her days without him.

What she did know was that she if the Marshals wouldn't give him a transfer, she would refuse to testify.

_Quid pro quo was just so sweet_ she thought with a wicked grin.

* * *

_**AN: Well, I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated! I've gotten wrapped up in multiple other stories and neglected this one. But I'm focusing and have the last two chapters planned, so I hope you enjoy! Please review and thank you for following/liking/reviewing. **_


	19. The Big Bang

Two weeks later Claire was giving the house a final cleaning, the realtor would be by in ten minutes to show it to prospective buyers. It had taken her nearly the whole two weeks with help from Danny and Tim to go through the house top to bottom and decide what would be sold, garbage, and what would be taken to Hawaii.

They had finally narrowed it down to certain pieces of furniture, her dad's bike, her mom's jewelry, her grandmother's china, and her mother's recipe books. Most other items would be sold or donated.

She slid her mother's diamond around on her right ring finger, unused to the odd sensation of wearing a ring. Danny had taken her father's ring, an odd look on his face, as though he knew it was just a piece of metal, but when it touched his skin she knew, like she had, he could hear their parent's voices and feel their touch again.

Mementos like these held ghosts, and for each of them it took time to either embrace them or banish them.

As the doorbell rang Claire hissed softly and fluffed the couch pillows before running answering it. The realtor, Jamie Collins, stood on the other side, his narrow face pinched against the cold. Claire waved him inside, "Hurry inside, it's bitter out there" she murmured with a smile.

Jamie nodded and hurried in; shrugging off his coat once the door had closed. Claire smiled softly, "You look frozen! Let me get you a cup of coffee. Come into the kitchen." She waved and Jamie dutifully nodded, following her into the warmth of the house.

She poured him a cup of coffee and handed it over, smiling at his grateful expression as he sipped it slowly. "So tell me about the family coming today" she asked.

Jamie nodded and set the mug down. He smiled softly and his plain face was transformed into a handsome one. "They're younger, the mom works at the hospital and the dad is a local cop." He pulled out his phone and checked something then nodded, "Looks like a Rosa?"

Claire laughed in surprise, "That was my nurse while I was in the hospital. She's amazing."

Jamie smiled, "What a coincidence!"

Claire shook her head, "Hardly, it's a small town. Would you mind if I stayed?"

Jamie shrugged, "Not at all."

Claire smiled and nodded, "Great! Oh, I have some homemade cookies Danny made. Here, let me uncover them." She pulled the plate out of the oven and unwrapped the foil, revealing a plate full of chocolate chip, peanut butter and snickerdoodle cookies.

She held the plate out and smiled at Jamie who was eyeing the cookies with interest, "Want one?"

He grinned and nabbed a peanut butter cookie, biting into it. "That's a damn good cookie" he murmured after eating it in a few quick bites.

Claire nodded, "Danny's been baking up a storm, perfecting recipes for his bakery shop. He wants to open one on the island when we go back. Our flight leaves this Friday."

Jaime gave her a speculative look and then asked, "You wanting to sell this place before then? It might take some doin."

Claire nodded, "I know. But I have a good feeling. And even if it's still in escrow when we leave, I'll give you all my contact information for Hawaii."

Jaime nodded slowly and then smiled, "Well let's see how today goes, huh?" he offered softly.

Claire nodded and chewed her snickerdoodle, impatient for Rosa and her husband to get there.

A few awkward minutes later there was a knock at the front door. Jaime went to answer it, leaving Claire to listen as he explained to Rosa and her husband that Claire was the owner and she was still in the house.

A moment later Rose burst into the kitchen and wrapped Claire in the tightest hug possible, her strong arms holding Claire close. Claire smiled and hugged her friend back. After a long few moments her husband grinned and called from the doorway, "Rosa babe, she can't show us the house if you don't let go."

Rosa laughed and pulled away shaking her head. "I'm just giving this girl some lovin. You hush."

Claire laughed softly at their repartee and pointed to the coffee and cookies, "Would you guys like some coffee, cookies?" she offered. Both Rosa and her husband readily agreed and were quickly set up with mugs and cookies.

Claire looked to Jaime and shrugged, "Do you lead?" she asked, unsure of her role now. He hesitated and then shook his head, "Why don't you show them around and tell them about the house" he suggested.

Claire nodded and smiled at Rosa and her husband. She waved at the kitchen and smiled softly, "Well this is the kitchen, which has new appliances, but the counters and cupboards are older. Danny and I used to help our mom bake in here and watched our dad cook all these amazing meals after hunting. It's got this great pantry over here with a lot of space where we used to hide during hide and seek."

She smiled and opened the door, showing them the marks on the frame where they had been measured each year until their parents had died. Shutting it softly she waved and led them into the dining area. "It's got hardwood and these great big windows that look out onto the backyard. Plenty of space for your Thanksgiving meal, I can attest from many a family gathering."

Claire slowly led them through the whole house, showing them the history of the house, the love and the memories. When they had made their way back down to the kitchen she smiled at Rosa and her husband and asked gently, "What do you think?"

Rosa looked up at her husband who smiled down at her and nodded. Rosa turned to Claire and smiled brilliantly, "Oh honey, we'd love to buy your house. We've got two kids at home that are getting bigger and just can't live in an apartment anymore."

She crossed the room and took Claire's hands, a look of concern on her face, "Are you sure about this darlin?"

Claire nodded and squeezed Rosa's hands, "I'm positive. It's time for someone else to have wonderful memories here now." She hugged Rosa and smiled at her husband, "You guys take your time with the paperwork, like I told Jaime, we can work things out even while I'm in Hawaii."

Rosa nodded and smiled eagerly at her husband, "We should go tell the kids." He nodded and chuckled at her happiness. Claire and Jaime walked them to the door and after they had left Jaime sighed softly.

"I wish all my sales were that easy and quick" he murmured.

Claire smiled, "Sometimes it's just meant to be."

He nodded and smiled at her, "Well, I'll be by with the paperwork as soon as I have it, or fax it to you in Hawaii." He tugged his coat on and shook her hand briskly, "I hope everything goes well for you Claire."

Claire nodded, "You as well." She watched him walk to his car before turning away and retreating to her laptop. She only had two days until they left for Hawaii, and she was still working out with the hospital her work schedule.

The doctors had finally cleared her for not only flying, but for light work. She had informed the hospital in Hawaii and had been informed by their HR that she would need to submit all the paperwork from the doctor clearing her for work in order to get back in the operating room.

Luckily for her the chief of surgery had worked with HR and reviewed her chart, confirming what the doctors in Harlan had to say—she was good to go. Now she just had to get on the schedule and get used to working again. It had been over a month since she had worked, and it would be longer still she was willing to bet.

She checked her email yet again and cheered softly when she saw an email from the scheduler. "Yes! Okay, next week…off Monday, Tuesday, working Wednesday through Saturday 6am to noon…" she sighed, they had placed her on half shifts.

As a trauma surgeon she wouldn't do much on a half shift…but she would be there getting her feet back under her, making sure the staff knew she was back, and she was staying. That was important.

Sighing, she shut her laptop and went to pull leftovers out of the fridge for Danny and Tim. Danny and Tim had been working together on self defense and gun safety after Danny's shifts at the factory, leaving them both extra hungry, but bonding a way that had surprised her at first but truly pleased her now.

The Marshals had informed her and Danny that Boyd was going to be arrested on their testimony to the ADA once they flew to Hawaii, for their own safety. It made her incredibly anxious to think of Tim and his friends going up against Boyd, knowing the possibility of one or all of them getting hurt was real and distinct.

She slid the lasagna into the oven and glanced at the clock. The men wouldn't be back for at least another thirty minutes. It left her just enough time to work out. Walking down to the basement she set her phone onto the speaker dock and hit play on her music before tugging her hair up into a ponytail.

After stretching out lightly she began jogging up and down the stairs until her heart was thumping and a sheen of sweat had broken out on her face and chest. Pausing at the bottom she spread her feet slightly and leaned down, spreading her arms out and began doing push ups on the stairs.

When her arms began to tire she stopped and went to the box that Tim had set up for her, jumping up solidly. She jumped backwards lightly and continued her box jumps until her heart was pounding and paused to rest, drinking water and stretching.

Her scar ached slightly and she lifted her shirt, frowning down at it.

"You know it's not ugly like you think it is, right?"

Tim's voice, over the loud music, startled her so badly she shrieked softly and dropped her water bottle. Spinning, she glared at him, ignoring his chuckle as he climbed the rest of the way down the stairs.

His strong hands circled her waist and drew her close, her hips bumping against his. He grinned softly and slipped his hands under her shirt, still cold from being outside against her hot skin. "Did I startle you?" he asked innocently.

Claire wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a smile, "Not at all, I was just humoring you. You're not as sneaky as you think you are."

Tim grinned and ran a hand down over her ass, squeezing it softly, enjoying watching her eyes widen. "No?" he asked his tone curious.

Claire's breathing grew softer, faster as his hand under her shirt trailed up her back, softly, delicately. They still hadn't had sex…Tim refused until he was sure she wasn't in pain. She cleared her throat and nodded, "Well, maybe you are…and maybe…" she leaned into him and brushed her hips suggestively against him, "Maybe you aren't. But you do look sexy in your shooting gear" she whispered.

Tim swallowed as her lips trailed over his jaw softly, her warm breath touching his cold skin, heating him pleasantly. Her fingers unzipped his jacket and pushed at it until his hands broke from her body and she could shove it to the ground.

Claire stared up at Tim with a soft smile as she pushed him gently back until his feet hit the box she had been jumping onto. He sat down onto it and she sat down gently in his lap, sighing softly when his hands grasped her waist.

"Where's Danny?" she asked quietly.

"Out for drinks with work friends" Tim murmured.

Claire's eyes glittered with promise and she leaned in, kissing him softly. Her fingers wound through Tim's hair, running down his neck and over his strong shoulders as she kissed him deeply.

"I guess we should make use of the time then" Claire murmured as she pulled away, smiling softly against his lips.

Tim breathed softly and hesitated, aching for her. "Are you sure?" he murmured, lifting a hand to her cheek, "I don't want to hurt you."

Claire smiled and kissed him softly, lifting her hips and rolling them softly against Tim's, enjoying his soft sigh of pleasure. His hand at her hip tightened as his hips thrust against her, his lips kissing her firmly.

Claire broke away, breathing heavily and murmured, "I'm fine, in case you can't tell. Now shut up and make love to me Tim."

Tim made a noise of agreement and smiled faintly, his mouth dipping to trail kisses over her throat, his fingers trailing under her shirt again sending shivers over her skin. He grasped the hem of her shirt and lifted it, breaking away from kissing her delicate skin to send it floating to the ground.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he stood, lifting her easily and carried her to the floor, enjoying the feeling of her strong legs around his waist, her lips impatiently kissing along his neck.

Her body rested down on the carpeting gently and Tim knelt over her, tugging off his undershirt and throwing it aside before leaning down and pressing kisses to her abdomen, his tongue darting out to taste the light sheen of sweat.

Claire's muscles twitched and her body arched up against Tim's mouth, her breathing shallow with anticipation. She kicked off her sneakers as he tugged her pants down, kissing her hip, down the inside of her thigh, across her knee, and down her calf.

Tim gazed down at her exposed body with longing, his fingers trailing over her scar gently. Claire's fingers wound through his and pulled them away, trailing them up her body, cupping his hand around her breast.

Her leg wound around his waist, drawing him down against her. Tim tugged her sports bra up and off, trailing his fingers over her exposed skin, sending a delightful shiver over her body. He watched with interest as her nipples hardened and her eyes fluttered with pleasure.

He cupped her breasts with his hands and gently teased her nipples, stroking them with the pads of his thumbs, rolling them between his fingers until she was breathing heavier and arching against him, making soft noises of pleasure.

Her gentle movements against him grew his arousal, brushing against him and igniting his own pleasure. Tim leaned over her on one arm and brushed his lips gently against her breast, his hand trailing softly down her waist.

He took her nipple between his lips and sucked gently, licking it softly as his hand dipped into her underwear. Claire arched as his fingers brushed against her damp center, sliding softly up and down her, sending a sudden jolt of pleasure through her.

He continued to touch her softly, slowly, building the sensation as his mouth trailed from her breasts to her neck, up to her mouth, leaving her breathless with pleasure. As his thumb trailed over her clit, Claire gasped and wrapped a hand around his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin.

"Tim!" she gasped softly.

He nodded and continued to stroke her, faster now, sending deeper thrills of bliss through her. Claire's breathing grew faster and her hips thrust against his hand, aching for release. It had been weeks since she had felt this with him…

"Oh Tim…please!" she cried out.

Tim slid two fingers within her and continued to stroke her, watching as she fell apart beneath him, her beautiful lips crying out his name. He wanted to watch her like this before he was inside her. It had been too long for both of them.

Bending his head he kissed her as he increased the pace of his thumb on her clit, feeling her jump. He could tell she was close, so close. Pulling away from her lips he whispered hoarsely, "I love you Claire" and kissed her again, feeling her tighten around him as she came.

Claire's hips moved against Tim's fingers, her body still humming from the orgasm, her lips aching from the bruising kisses he had dealt her. As he pulled away from her she felt a sense of loss and made a soft noise, grasping his hip and pulling him back for a kiss.

Running her hand down his chest and over his groin she cupped his erection and stroked him, smiling when he jerked. Her hands moved to his belt and made quick work of it, pushing his pants down until he was free.

Tim rolled away and shucked his pants the rest of the way. Turning back to Claire he knelt over her once more and grasped her hip, lifting her as he tugged her underwear down and off. Holding her to him, he shifted onto his back and caressed her waist, his hand trailing up her back, his fingers sending shivers over her sensitive skin.

Claire rolled her hips against his, enjoying the feeling, enjoying seeing him arch with pleasure, enjoying his tight grip on her. Her fingertips scraped down his chest as she continued to move restlessly against his hard length, teasing them both.

With a lift of her hips she took him and settled down slowly, sighing as he entered her. _God it felt so right_.

Tim groaned softly, it felt like coming home again, being back with Claire. When she started to lift herself and rotate her hips against him, he gritted his teeth and arched his back. He didn't know how long he would last…it was pure bliss.

Claire gasped as she moved and Tim thrust back against her, his hands gripping her waist tightly. Their cries of pleasure were soft beneath the music still playing from her workout, but to her, it was the sweetest music. She had missed their union, had missed feeling this sweet ache.

Her fingers trailed over her breasts, tweaking her nipples gently, running over her body and down to her clit. She brushed it softly, gasping in pleasure as she did, her rhythm faltering for a moment before regaining its movement.

Tim watched as Claire pleasured herself, her lips parted in small cries of desire. He was close to his own end and hoped he could make it to see hers first. He thrust harder into her, enjoying her cry of pleasure, watching as her head dropped back and she brushed her clit faster.

She moved harder, faster against him, aching to feel release, her heart hammering in her chest, her breasts heaving with exertion. She was so close….

"Fuck Tim…I'm right there" she whimpered.

Tim groaned and continued to move with her, squeezing her hip. "Come on baby, come on" he murmured.

Claire gasped and writhed, feeling the pleasure build to an almost intolerable point, her finger rubbing and flicking her clit until finally, with a loud cry, she came. Her limbs filled with fire as pleasure shot through her and her hips continued to move, her gasps and utterances of Tim's name uncontrollable.

Tim grasped her waist and rolled them until Claire was on her back, her legs around his waist. He continued to thrust into her as she rolled her hips against him. He was so close, and she was so soft, so perfect…

With a curse, he came, thrusting into her roughly as he kissed her. "I love you" he muttered as he buried his face in her neck, breathing heavily, still inside her, her legs wrapped around him.

Claire nodded, "I love you too" she whispered, running her fingers down his back.

They lay together, still and quiet for a time until Claire shivered and Tim pulled away, "Are you cold?" he asked softly.

She nodded and winced when he stood, pulling her up with him. Tim saw the action and frowned taking her jaw in his hand, "Hey, are you alright?" he asked, looking her over.

Claire smiled and nodded, touching his hand at her face. "Just sore from working out and then doing that. Different muscle groups" she joked.

Tim smiled and smacked her ass as she bent to pull on her underwear. Whirling, she raised her brows and raised her finger in warning. He lifted his hands in surrender and smiled softly, "Sorry! Just letting you know…good work there teammate."

Claire stared at him and then laughed, shaking her head. Tugging her clothes on she went to her phone and shut off the music, smiling when she felt Tim's arms around her waist.

His lips kissed her neck softly and he murmured, "I'm going to miss doing that with you."

Claire smiled and turned in his arms, wrapping her own around his neck. "I'm going to miss it and a whole lot of other things. But we'll be together soon enough." She ran her fingers through his hair and bumped her nose against his, making him smile.

"We should go upstairs, dinner will be ready soon" she murmured. Tim nodded and sighed, breaking away and following close behind.

Danny returned a short time later and they sat down as a family, eating and discussing their plans for travel. Danny insisted on cleaning so they could have time together, carefully ignoring their smug smiles.

Claire reclined against Tim's chest and held up the Ipad, "What do you think of this place?" she asked softly.

He looked and frowned, "Three bedrooms? Do we need that much space?" he asked.

Claire looked up at him and then shrugged, "I thought Danny would live with us. Until he has his feet under him."

Tim hesitated and then nodded, "I was hoping it would just be you and me by the time I get down there" he said softly.

Claire sighed and stroked his arm softly, "I know, but I can't say for sure how Danny is going to do. I was thinking if he does well he could keep my place. If not, we can move him in with us."

She looked up at Tim and gave him a pleading look, "I can't not help him."

Tim frowned faintly and nodded, "I know Claire. I just want you to be secure and happy. And he has to grow up."

Claire nodded, "He will."

Tim sighed and nodded, "Okay. Well, then let's look at two bedrooms. We're going to bet on Danny. He's going to do well."

Claire grinned and adjusted the search on the realtor website. She felt a thrill of excitement at the thought of looking for a home for just her and Tim.

Their home. Together. Forever.

* * *

Claire ran down the hall, her stomach aching. She had to get to the ER _now._ There was a four car pile-up on its way in, and one of them had been a motorcycle. She mentally prepped herself for the snide remarks from the other doctors on her preferred method of transportation injuring or killing yet another person.

She had heard and seen it all.

As the ER bay doors blew open, she reassessed her thoughts.

The motorcyclist's arm was bent at an awkward angle-bad enough that she knew it was not only broken, but possibly internally severed. His helmet had been removed and a paramedic was working to get a pupil response, careful not to move the piece of metal lodged in his stomach.

Claire stepped up to the table and went to work.

* * *

Hours later she tossed her gloves aside and wiped her forehead, exhausted. The motorcyclist was brain dead and was having his organs harvested. The other drivers were in better condition, some not by much. She had been on her feet for nearly 10 hours, longer than she was supposed to be, but damn…it felt good to be back and saving lives.

Sitting down in the locker room, she pulled her phone out and checked her messages. It had been over a week since she had flown back to Hawaii and she and Tim had been in near constant contact.

The Marshals had planned on arresting Boyd in the next few days; they just needed to nail down some details, according to Tim. It was the 18th, just 6 days to Christmas, and she wanted to know if her present had gotten to him, and what was going on.

Checking her texts she saw Tim had messaged her a few hours ago when he thought she was getting off, then again a short while later, and just now. Frowning, she quickly responded and explained what had happened.

Tim replied quickly that she needed to be careful and take care of herself, to not push, and to go home and get rest. Claire smiled at his worrying and nodding, texting him back that she was heading home now for a shower and sleep.

"What about Boyd?" she murmured, texting him the same question. A moment later he responded. "Arresting him tomorrow, don't worry about it, we'll be fine." Claire scoffed, "Yea, okay."

Shaking her head, she lifted her backpack on and walked out to her motorcycle, taking care to drive slowly home, the victim still in her mind.

As she sank down onto her bed, too exhausted to even shower, she sniffed the air, smelling the fresh baked bread Danny had made to go with dinner. _It's really too bad I'm just going straight to sleep…I bet it's delicious…_

* * *

Tim strapped his bulletproof vest on, securing the straps before sliding his gun into its holster at his waist. His other went at his thigh, and his ballcap covered his hair, his sunglasses sliding onto his face.

Raylan and Rachel quietly assembled their gear before they walked out to the SUV, piling in as a team. Their intel said that Boyd was hiding out with Ava in a cabin in the woods, high in the mountains.

Backup teams from the local and state police were assisting in forming a perimeter, and Tim had his sharpshooting rifle if necessary. They were all hoping that it wouldn't be necessary.

The SUV rolled through the hills rapidly, until they were at the break point. The car came to a stop and the team jumped out, weapons at the ready. Art nodded, "Alright y'all, heads up. We know Boyd's a sneaky sonnavabitch so expect the unexpected. Watch each other's backs, and let's go get this asshole."

They all shared a smile and then took off, jogging into the hills.

The police and Marshals spread out, forming a perimeter around the cabin, keeping low and distant. Raylan lifted a bullhorn and spoke.

"Boyd and Ava. You have one chance to come out. Open the door and surrender now."

There was a long moment of silence and then Boyd called back, "Raylan, is that you?"

Raylan smirked softly, "Yea Boyd, it's me."

"Well now Raylan, I can't rightly say why you're here. This is private property and it seems to me you're trespassing. I'm going to have to ask you and your friends to leave."

Raylan sighed, "Boyd, you're under arrest for felony attempted murder, felony robbery, felony assault with a deadly weapon, and a whole slew of other charges. Now get your skinny ass out here."

There was a laugh from in the cabin, "I'm sorry Raylan, I don't think I can do that." A moment later an object came flying out of the cabin, rolling to within a few feet of Raylan.

Tim stared at it for a breath and then reacted, knocking Raylan down and dragging him back just before the grenade burst, the air exploding with dirt and fire. Raylan cursed and shouted, grabbing Tim to make sure he was alive.

"Tim! Tim, you okay?" he yelled, his ears ringing.

Tim coughed and nodded, brushing debris out of his hair. Another moment and they both would have been dead. He and Raylan exchanged a look and unholstered their weapons, moving to stand side by side.

Tim pointed to the cabin, "I can get around the back if y'all keep him busy out front."

Raylan raised a brow, "By keep him busy I assume you mean let him keep throwing grenades?"

Tim shrugged and grinned, "Whatever works." He lifted his gun and aimed squarely for the window that the grenade had come from and began firing. The other Marshals took the cue and began firing as well.

A moment passed and from inside the cabin, someone began to return fire, sending the Marshals scattering behind trees for cover. Tim took the opportunity to skirt through the trees, working his way around the cabin, keeping low and wide.

As he moved he heard another grenade detonate and people shouting. He crept from the trees and saw the back of the cabin, the door closed. He came from an angle, still keeping low. His hair ruffled in the breeze as he leaned against the wall of the cabin, his breathing slow and even, despite having climbed hills and running.

Lifting his chin slowly, he angled his chin until he could get an eyeball at windowsill level. He could see almost nothing.

A figure moved at the front….Boyd.

_Where was Ava?_

Probably hunkered down so she didn't get shot….or dead already. He ducked back down and took a steady breath. He didn't have a clear shot on Boyd from here, but if he went in through the back, he would.

Reaching out, he turned the door handle and in a swift movement, threw it open. When no bullets came flying out at him he stepped forward, gun raised. Clearing the area left and right, he moved forward cautiously, still not seeing Ava.

Boyd hadn't noticed him yet, still distracted with the Marshals out front.

He moved along the hallway and into the kitchen, crouching down behind the cupboards until he came to the end of the wall and peered around the corner. Boyd was reloading his weapons, unnoticing of him.

Stepping out he raised his gun and pointed it straight at Boyd's head. Boyd lifted his chin and stared at Tim, a look of confusion on his face. His gaze flitted to the back door and comprehension spread slowly over him.

"You're under arrest Boyd. Stand up now" Tim commanded, waving his gun up.

Boyd lifted his hands, dropping his guns, "I don't know about that now Marshal. I think if I do that, your men will just shoot me."

Tim shook his head, "We aren't like you, we don't just shoot unarmed people."

Boyd stared at him and then smiled softly, "And how is Claire?" he asked.

Tim stepped closer, feeling his anger rising. "Gone. Safe. Now get up before I change my mind."

Boyd tilted his head and grinned, "I'm sorry Marshal, I just don't think I'll be going with you."

Too late, Tim heard the floorboards creak behind him. _Ava_ he thought. He turned and saw her blonde hair, the gun in her hand, and then heard the sharp retort as she fired, once, twice, three times.

He fell to the ground, gasping in pain, fear. Black spots swam in his vision.

Boyd stepped over him and went to Ava, taking the gun from her, "Thank you darlin" he murmured.

Tim felt agony rip through him as he tried to breath, and swore he felt something hot and wet beneath him…lifting a hand he reached up to touch his chest and held it up in front of his eyes, swearing softly when he saw the dark blood staining them.

The world swam as the pain grew and his breathing grew labored…..darkness grew….and everything sank away.

* * *

Claire was roused from sleep by the ringing of her phone, incessant and loud. Scrambling for it she answered, her voice scratchy. "H-hello? This is Dr. Bennett."

"Claire…its Raylan." Claire sat up at Raylan's voice. There was something wrong, she could feel it.

"Raylan, what is it?" she demanded.

"Tim…he's in the hospital. He was shot during the arrest today. They used armor piercing rounds, three of them, straight through his vest. He's in surgery now." Claire clenched the phone so hard she thought it might break.

Taking a deep breath she asked, "Tell me you got Boyd."

Raylan nodded, "We did. But Claire…he's in bad shape. Can you come?" he asked softly.

Claire wiped at the tears that had begun falling and shook her head, "I don't know Raylan. I might lose my job, and I don't have much of a savings left to pay rent. Danny's just getting started on his bakery…shit…I'll call and ask."

She let out a stifled sob and then took a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Raylan. Are you all okay?" she asked softly.

Raylan made a soft wounded noise and Claire put a hand to her mouth, stifling her tears. "I dunno what to do without him Claire. He's my best friend and like a brother."

Claire nodded, "Okay. I'll put in a call to the hospital and see what I can find out. I'll try to get there as soon as I can."

Raylan coughed and sniffled, "Thanks Claire. I'll call you if anything changes."

Claire sighed and nodded, "Thanks Raylan. You take care. Get some rest."

Raylan made a soft noise and hung up, leaving her to stare at her phone in shock.

As the realization of what had happened set in, she began to shake, anger rippling through her. She lifted her phone and dialed work, desperate to figure out a way to go back to Harlan and see Tim.

* * *

Four days later Claire paced the hallways of the Harlan hospital, waiting to hear from the doctor. It was Christmas Eve and the man she loved had been in and out of surgery for a day while she flew in.

She had lost her job, and Danny had stayed behind to work in the bakery to keep them afloat.

She hadn't been allowed in Tim's rooms because he was in the ICU for critical patients. Her stomach was knotted with worry- they had him under the direst of prognosis even after nearly two days of surgery and two more of rest.

The doctor opened the ICU doors and exited, walking over to her, his faced creased with worry. He motioned to the chairs and sat with her, speaking softly. "I understand you're a trauma surgeon Miss Bennett?" he asked.

Claire nodded, "I am. Please just tell me how he's doing. No one will say, even though I'm on his contact list."

The doctor held up a hand, "It's not for that reason. We've been unsure if he would make it through the night for most nights." Claire felt ill at his words but nodded. "Two of the bullets punctured his lungs, which we were able to repair, but one nicked his spine. We had to do a great deal of very delicate work, and we're still not sure about his neurological response, and we won't be until he is able to wake up."

The doctor sighed, "He is in a coma and may be for some time. You need to prepare yourself."

Claire gasped and hunched over, a wave of nausea passing over her. _Prepare yourself._ Those were the words they used when someone was going to die. Tim couldn't die.

The doctor's hand rested on her shoulder softly, "I'm so sorry."

Claire nodded and she looked up at him, "May I see him?" she asked. "I'll scrub in like I would for a surgery." The doctor looked hesitant and then nodded.

Placing a mask over her face, Claire scrubbed her arms down until she was ready and donned a gown, walking into the ICU and down the hall to Tim's bed.

Her stomach turned at the sight of him, wires and tubes holding him onto life. A sob tore from her and she stepped closer, reaching out to touch his hand softly.

"Tim…you need to wake up. I can't go on without you. I love you."

She sank down to her knees, clutching his hand and wept.

"Dear god, please come back to me Tim."


	20. The End

Claire slept by Tim's bed on a small cot, covered by a blanket, exhaustion having overwhelmed her. It had been two weeks since Tim had been shot, and his diagnosis has barely improved.

During that time she had received privileges at the hospital and had begun performing surgeries, keeping herself busy and bringing in income to help Danny pay rent and put some aside for her and Tim's future.

She refused to think that he wouldn't survive for them to have a future together.

He had been taken off the respirators after his breathing had improved, but his neurological responses were still slow and weak, and he hadn't awoken since his last surgery. Claire was no fool, she knew it wasn't good.

Her only consolation was that Boyd and Ava were in custody and facing prosecution, and Danny's bakery was going to be opening soon. It seemed that not everything was going to hell.

* * *

Claire took her lunch into Tim's room and sat down beside his bed, sighing tiredly. She had already performed two surgeries today, and she was sincerely hoping her day was over. Harlan was hardly as busy or crazy as Hawaii had been, but she still found herself lending a hand on routine surgeries to less skilled surgeons, and offering opinions to doctors on rounds until her day went from a normal 8 or 10 hours to nearly 14 hours long.

Biting into her sandwich, she made a noise of appreciation and wolfed it down in a few bites, barely tasting it. Rosa had been bringing her food to Tim's apartment, making sure she was eating and resting enough. Claire sighed, without her friend, she wouldn't be taking care of herself, and she was grateful for that.

Running a hand over her face she stared at Tim, watching him breathe softly, her heart aching with a terrible sadness. Leaning forward she took his hand in hers and bent her head down, closing her eyes.

"Tim, please, please, wake up. I miss you so much. I can't live without you in my life. You have to fight. Please" she whispered, her voice throaty from unshed tears.

She took deep breaths, her shoulders aching from being in surgery. As the tension eased she turned her head and rested her cheek on the bed, closing her eyes to rest.

_Just for a few minutes _she told herself.

* * *

Claire felt a hand squeezing hers so gently it barely registered. "Sorry…Ahem..I'm awake" she murmured, lifting her head to look around sleepily for the nurse who had awoken her. When she didn't see anyone she frowned.

Tim's fingers squeezed hers faintly.

Claire flinched and turned in shock to stare at their hands, watching as he did it again. Her eyes flashed to his face and gasped when she saw his eyes fluttering. Her hand slapped on the call button at his bed and she stood, hollering, "HELP! SOMEONE!"

She stared down at Tim as his eyes continued to flutter and his fingers squeezed hers, her heart pounding. A moment later she heard feet pounding in the hallway. The door flew open and a crew of nurses and doctors came rushing in, fear plain on their faces.

Claire turned to them, "He's waking up!" she exclaimed.

Tim's doctor, a specialist from Lexington, Dr. Walsh, came to her side and touched her arm gently. "What happened?" he asked.

Claire lifted their conjoined hands gently, "He started squeezing my hand and it woke me up, and I noticed him opening his eyes."

Dr. Walsh nodded and then touched her hand, "I need you to let go now." He gave her a sympathetic look but his tone was firm.

Claire swallowed hard but nodded, gently letting Tim's hand go to move by his other side, near his head. She brushed her fingers through his hair and whispered softly, "Come on Tim, you can do it. Wake up soldier."

Dr. Walsh began his examination of Tim by checking his reflexes, working his way from top to bottom. When he checked Tim's pupils, Claire's heart skipped a beat at the flinch she saw from him.

He was definitely awake.

After nearly ten long minutes Walsh looked across the bed to her and smiled faintly, "Do me a favor and ask him if he can open his eyes."

Claire nodded. Turning to Tim she leaned down into his eye line and whispered, "Tim, can you open your eyes for me?"

A soft groan came from his throat and Claire gasped, her hand going to her mouth, tears forming in her eyes. She looked up at Walsh who looked pleased, nodding at her. She took a deep breath and asked again, "Tim, open your eyes. Come on, do it for me."

She laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed softly.

A moment passed and then his eyes fluttered, hanging half open before falling closed. Claire gave a sob and leaned in, kissing his cheek, "Come on Tim, I know you can do this" she whispered.

Tim sighed deeply and a moment later his eyes fluttered all the way open, staring at her tiredly. Claire began to cry, laying her hand on his cheek, nodding happily. Dr. Walsh stepped forward and smiled, "Great job Tim. Now, can you tell me her name?" he asked.

Tim looked over to Walsh and then back to Claire, a look of confusion passing over his face for a moment. His brow furrowed and he opened his mouth, but after a moment, shut it and shook his head.

Claire felt a spur of fear pass through her. She looked over to Walsh, giving him a questioning look. He held up a hand and then turned back to Tim. He smiled patiently, "That's ok Tim, you suffered quite a bit of trauma, so some memory issues aren't unexpected. I'd like to make sure your motor skills are ok. Is that ok with you?" he asked.

Tim stared at him for a moment and then nodded.

Walsh smiled and then tapped Tim's right hand, "Ok let me know if you feel the touches, and then lift your hands."

Tim nodded, lifting his hand. Walsh nodded and tapped his left hand. Tim nodded and lifted his hand.

Walsh smiled, "Great, now can you wiggle your toes?"

Tim looked down and watched as his toes wiggled. He looked up at Walsh expectantly.

Walsh wrote on his chart for a moment and then smiled at Tim. "You're doing great Tim. I have a couple of questions for you and then I'd like for you to rest, okay?"

Tim nodded and watched him expectantly.

Walsh smiled and then asked, "Can you tell me your last name?"

Tim frowned and then nodded, "Gutterson."

Walsh nodded, "Good. Can you tell me what agency you work for?

Tim nodded, "US Marshals."

Walsh nodded, "Okay, good. Can you tell me your mother's name?" he asked gently.

Tim frowned deeply and shook his head. Claire leaned forward and spoke softly, "He doesn't keep in contact with his mom, he might not remember her right now" she offered. Tim looked up at her in surprise and she smiled down at him reassuringly.

Walsh nodded, making a note before smiling at Tim. "Okay Tim. Last question. How are you feeling?"

Tim raised a brow and then frowned faintly. He looked down at his legs and then up at the doctor, "Sore I guess. What happened?" he asked.

Walsh sighed and looked over at Claire for a moment before sitting down on Tim's bed. "You were shot Tim. In the process of apprehending a criminal. We aren't sure about your ability to walk yet, but the fact you can feel your legs and feet is a very good sign. We will want to take you for tests later once you rest, and possibly have you up and about later in the evening."

Tim look confused and scared and it broke Claire's heart. She rested her hand on his and he looked up at her, his expression wary. She smiled warmly, trying to be friendly and not freak him out since he clearly couldn't remember her right now.

Walsh stood and wrote on Tim's chart for a moment before nodding at Tim and Claire, "I'll order these tests and have someone over in a few minutes. Claire, can I speak with you?" he asked.

Claire nodded and waited until he had left to turn to Tim. She smiled softly, "I know you don't remember me right now, but I'm a friend. More than that actually. But for now, just know that you can trust me, and that I trusted you with my life and you trusted me with yours. If you need anything, just ask for me. I'm Claire. Claire Bennett."

Tim stared at her for a moment and then nodded, not saying anything.

She smiled and walked quickly out of the room to face Walsh who was waiting for her. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she sighed, "Why doesn't he remember me?"

Walsh smiled sadly at her, "You know as well as I do that there's no real good explanation for it. Trauma like his…it's hard to say what the damage will be. You're a very recent addition to his life, so it's possible his brain is having a hard time recalling you. Right now, we need to focus on making sure he can walk, and if he has problems with that, we need to solve them. Okay?"

Claire shrugged, frustrated. "Fine. I'm going home for now though. I'm just…done in." If she stayed another minute she would break down sobbing and she couldn't do that in front of everyone.

Walsh nodded, "We'll keep you updated."

Claire nodded and thanked him softly before gathering her things and walking away. She quickly made her way out of the hospital and back to Tim's apartment (really it belonged to the US government, but no one from the Marshals service had kicked her out).

Kicking her shoes off, she stripped her scrubs off and pulled on one of Tim's flannels before crawling beneath the covers of his bed, inhaling his scent. Tears sprang to her eyes and within moments she was sobbing, her body heaving with the force of her tears.

* * *

Three weeks later Claire was helping Tim in his therapy session, ignoring his swearing, knowing he was tired and frustrated. Despite the time that had passed, he still had trouble remembering her.

The best he could do was remembering Danny being shot, her arrival, and her agreeing to work with Boyd. Claire would take it. If it meant that Tim would fall in love with her again, she would fight for him, for them.

She kept her hand on his back as he walked slowly on the track, his hand gripping the cane tightly. Sweat poured down his face and his skin was pale as a sheet of paper. Her heart ached for him, knowing his pain.

Her rehab had been just as painful, but he had never let up on her, always pushing her to work.

Tim paused and closed his eyes, breathing heavily through his nose. She could see the pain on his face. She stepped closer and whispered, "Hey, look at me." A moment later his blue eyes opened and met her hazel ones.

She smiled, "You can do this. You're stronger than some bullet. You were stronger than PTSD, stronger than the bottle, and you taught me to be that strong." She lifted her chin and nodded, "Take a deep breath because you can do this. You just have to get to the end of the track and you're done for the day. It's one day at a time, and I'll be here for you each day."

Tim stared down at the woman who had been beside him for three weeks, always kind, always pushing him, fighting for him, always sure of him, and wondered again if what he dreamt at night was real.

If the images of them, smiling, laughing, holding hands, and making love were true, then she was telling the truth and they had been not just friends, but in a relationship before he was shot. He could remember meeting her, and liking her…but hardly anything else.

He sure as shit liked her now.

Nodding, he gritted his teeth and took another step forward, and then another and another, continuing to move forward until he reached the end of the track, Claire by his side the entire time.

She pulled away slightly and clapped, smiling brightly at him, "I told you!" she exclaimed. Tim shook his head as he sank down on the mats, wiping his face. She sat down next to him, handing him his water bottle.

She played with a ring on her finger and he couldn't help but notice it looked an awful lot like an engagement ring. Reaching over he touched it softly and asked, "Did I manage to snag you with that?"

Claire looked up in surprise and then laughed softly, shaking her head. "No. It was my mom's. We weren't there yet. You were going to transfer to Hawaii and live with me there."

Tim raised his brows in surprise. _Hawaii?_ "Whose idea was that?" he asked.

Claire hesitated and then shrugged, "Both of ours I guess. We talked about it before we made a decision. You wanted to be with me, and I didn't want to be here in Harlan."

Tim looked at her for a moment and then stared down at the mats, "But you're here now" he observed.

Claire nodded, "I love you" she said simply.

They sat in silence for a long time until Claire looked at her phone and sighed, "Well, I have to go, I'm having dinner with Raylan."

Tim's head came up and he frowned at her, "Why are you having dinner with Raylan?" he demanded, his tone curious.

Claire stood and smiled down at him, offering her hand to help him stand. He took it and as she pulled him to his feet she said, "We're friends."

Tim stared at her for a moment and then began walking, ignoring the pain and stiffness in his hips. Claire quickly grabbed his arm as they made their way to his wheelchair.

"You're just friends?" he asked, and Claire could swear Tim sounded jealous.

She said nothing and helped him into his chair, pushing it down the hall and into his room. After she had helped him into bed she gathered her jacket and purse and smiled at him, waving goodbye.

"I'll tell Raylan you said hi" she murmured.

Tim frowned at her and nodded.

Claire paused at the door and looked over her shoulder, meeting Tim's eyes seriously. "Raylan and I are just friends. You don't have to worry."

Tim nodded sharply and looked away. Claire smiled faintly and walked out, a warm feeling curling through her. He might not remember their relationship fully, but something was happening that was reminding him of what they had—enough to make him jealous of her and Raylan spending time together.

It was a start.

* * *

The incessant ringing of her phone roused Claire from her sleep. She had just gotten off a shift of three surgeries and then helping Tim with his rehab. Total it had been 14 hours at the hospital, and she had only been asleep for an hour.

Swearing, she snatched her phone up and answered it without looking.

"This had better be damn good" she muttered.

"I think it will be. You like mint tea when you're upset, and it's what I made you after Boyd attacked you, nearly strangling you to death."

Claire sat straight up in bed, her heart pounding at the sound of Tim's voice. He was remembering.

"That's right…you did" she murmured.

"And I remember that blue dress you wore when I told you I loved you. How you felt in my arms as we danced the first time and I was so scared. And then again when I was going to tell you I loved you and I was even more scared." Tim's voice was throaty and he laughed, "I don't know how I ever forgot."

Claire shook her head and wiped away the tears that had begun to fall, "I don't know babe…but I'm so glad you remembered." She rested her head against her knees and cried, unable to hold it back.

Tim cried softly, "I'm so sorry Claire. I wish I had been more careful, I was so stupid."

Claire lifted her head and wiped her cheeks, "Oh trust me, you're going to get an earful about that later. But for right now, you're going to keep telling me the things you remember. Keep talking until I fall back to sleep."

She lay down and smiled, listening as Tim talked softly, telling her everything he remembered from their relationship, and about her.

* * *

The sun beat down mercilessly, making sweat break out on skin. A cool breeze blew, easing the heat. Soft music played nearby and the scent of grilling food wafted on the air.

Fingertips played across Tim's skin, teasing him into wakefulness.

His eyes fluttered open and he smiled. Claire stood above him in a bikini, her sunglasses resting on her nose, two beers in one hand. She smiled at him, "Come on sleepyhead, dinner is almost ready."

He nodded and sat up, sliding his feet over the side of the lawn chair and into the sand. Standing up he took one of the beers she offered and took a long sip, grateful for the cool relief from the heat.

Claire slipped her hand into his and they walked up the beach to the deck where Danny and his girlfriend were grilling. Danny waved, "Hey bro, here's your burger." He handed Tim a plate loaded with a homemade bun, perfectly grilled burger and pointed to the table, "Fixins are over there."

Tim nodded, "Perfect bro, thanks."

Claire grinned and took the plate Danny offered her. As they sat down at the patio table together to eat she listened eagerly to his report on the bakery. It had been nearly 6 months since its opening, and it was going strong.

People came from all over the island, and it seemed that orders were coming from the other islands—business was growing. Not only that, but his girlfriend was a good woman who he was in love with and was thinking he could marry.

Claire rested her head on Tim's shoulder and smiled, they were finally happy, as a family.

* * *

Claire sat between Tim's legs on the beach chair, watching the sunset. When she shivered softly he shrugged off his button down and made her put it on before wrapping his arms around her. Smiling, she tucked her head under his chin and sighed happily.

Tim ran a hand over her hair and breathed in the fresh air, amazed once again that this was his home. Smiling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he had been holding onto all day.

He gently took Claire's hand and slid the ring onto her finger. She lifted her head and stared up at him, a question in her eyes.

Tim wrapped her fingers in his, "All my life, and you're the one thing that's been real. When I lost it all, including who I was, I followed my heart back to you. I've seen my share of misery, but I never felt a cut as deep as when I thought I was losing you. You're the one thing I can't stand to lose. I want to spend every day loving you. Will you marry me?"

Claire tilted her chin up and kissed him deeply, running her fingers through his hair. "Of course I will" she whispered when they broke apart.

Tim grinned and kissed her, happier than he had ever been.

* * *

**Five years later**

Claire rose from her desk as chief of surgery at the hospital, grateful to have ended her day early. She needed to pick her kids up from the daycare, and Tim was on a case that had him wrapped up.

As she slid behind the wheel of her SUV she smiled, struck once again by the changes in her life. Just a few years ago she had still been riding her motorcycle to work. When she and Tim had decided to adopt, they had also made the decision to sell her bike and get something that would actually accommodate children.

When her twins ran down the sidewalk and into her arms, she felt a giant burst of happiness. Julia and Kyle were just 2 years old, but would soon have an older brother from foster care. She and Tim were dedicated to having as many children as possible, and when they had discovered her gunshot wound had made that nearly impossible for her, they had made the decision to adopt and foster.

That evening when Tim was reading the children their stories, she felt something inside her flip, and a warmth spread. She fell a little more in love with him each day.

Tim turned the light off in the children's room and the nightlite came on as he shut the door. He took her hand as they walked to their room and she smiled.

Life wasn't perfect, but she wouldn't trade a moment of theirs. She believed in what they had engraved on their wedding bands; _You fight until the end._

Most people thought it was a joke; that you fight with your spouse until the day you died, but she and Tim knew that it really meant that you don't stop fighting for the person you love. You stand by their side in the battle of life, and be their friend, partner, lover, warrior, and soulmate.

You fight until the end.

* * *

_**AN: Well, this is it my loves! I truly hope you have enjoyed this story! I want to thank all of you for following/liking/reviewing! Please review and let me know what you've thought of the story! Thank you all for the support!**_


End file.
